Early this month, the city was shocked to learn the mutilated, headless corpse of a 9-year-old boy had been found in Cakung, East Jakarta.
The next day, the police arrested a man called Baikuni in connection to the crime; Baikuni later told the police where had he dumped the head of the boy, identifi ed as Ardiansyah.
During questioning, Baikuni made more shocking confessions - Ardiansyah, he confessed, was not his only victim. He said he had killed many more children who refused to have sex with him. Police estimate Baikuni may have had 15 such victims, as the police found 15 photos of children at Baikuni's rented house in Cakung.
The gruesome revelations about the crimes by Baikuni, known among street children as Babe (which means "father" in the Betawi dialect) have raised questions about how to protect children - especially street kids - emphasizing the concerns raised by the National Commission for Child's Protection (Komnas PA) over the growing incidents of violence against children in this country.
In its yearend report issued last month, the commission said it had received 1,998 reports of violence against children in 2009. This fi gure is an increase on the previous year, in which 1,736 cases were reported. According to the report, about 63 percent of those cases were related to sexual abuse, including sodomy and rape.
Arist Merdeka Sirait, the commission's secretary-general, said he was saddened but not surprised by the latest case of violence against children.
"Today, the street children are the victims," Arist told Sunday Post recently. "But don't be surprised if tomorrow the street children become criminals."
Arist believes the increase in the number of cases of violence against children is a result of an inappropriate government approach and policy. The problem, he says, is that the government and city administration view buskers, beggars and street vendors - anyone who makes money in the streets - as criminals.
The city administration often conducts crackdowns on street kids and others at crossroads and traffi c lights. Once arrested, their belongings are confi scated by public order enforcers (Satpol PP), who will take them into custody.
A random survey that the commission conducted among street children revealed that the kids consider the Satpol PP to be the most terrifying creatures on earth. This means that the current approach will not be effective in solving this long-standing problem.
Alternative approaches to helping street kids are being offered by some NGOs and social institutions; among them are rumah singgah, or halfway houses, where street kids can go during the day to have fun and to take part in learning activities.
Singer and social activist Caroline Gunawan, aka Alena, is one of the few people who are seriously concerned about street children's present situation and future. Working with other volunteers, Alena has opened a mobile library and a half-day school for street kids and poor families in some places in the capital.
The library and school are staffed by volunteers who stimulate the kids with creative play and storytelling. The expectation is that by offering the mobile library and halfway house, the children will spend less time on the street; the aim is also to reduce the high risk children experience as part of their lives.
"We try to educate and inform them," Alena said. "We hope they will find some job other than being a busker."
Although this approach may help homeless kids fi nd new options for their future, many street children are forced by their parents or guardians to make money in the street. These kids spend the day on the streets and go home at night. They do not need - and perhaps cannot take advantage of - the halfway house or mobile library as their parents have a house.
"I think the city administration must fi rst map out the characteristics of the streets kids to get a clear idea about them and how to solve the problem," Arist said, adding that to date the city administration had not addressed the issue openly.
Rather, he said, the city administration had always tried to cover up information about the street children.
"The problem is not about numbers. Whether there are many or few, street kids are humans that need better treatment from the state," he added.
Arist called for a holistic approach to deal with the long-standing problems of street kids and poverty. Such a holistic approach, he said, would require different ministries to work together on the same problem.
In his vision, the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry would work on ways to rescue street children, who mostly earn money from busking or begging, from this premature employment. The National Education Ministry would take care of the children's right to an education while the Health Ministry would work on health-related issues.
"If we ask the street children why they make money on the street, I think their answer will get to the heart of this problem, which is poverty," Arist added.
The National Commission for Child's Protection, according to Arist, has repeatedly recommended that the government look into the problem, adopting a broader perspective and a multi-sector approach. However, the commission has not found the government willing to take the recommendations seriously.
"Only the social welfare ministry makes comments," he said. "But we all know that this ministry does not work on the issue of street kids only. With frequent natural disasters, the ministry has other things to focus on."
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has established the State Ministry for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (formerly the State Ministry for Women's Empowerment), but his policies on child protection remain vague. A quick browse of the ministry's website shows that Minister Linda Gumelar is still consolidating her team and preparing guidelines.
It remains to be seen if the ministry, with its new function, will make any difference.
