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‘Hundreds’ of sexual assault victims at Tangerang orphanage over 18 years
After years of inner struggle, some of the victims finally decided to join forces to reveal the crimes in the hope of putting an end to them. They believe the sexual assaults occurred from the time the institution was established in 2006, and hundreds fell victim to the abuse.
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Illustration of child abuse. (Shutterstock/271 EAK MOTO)
D
ean Desvi, a foster mother at Darussalam An’nur Orphanage in Tangerang, Banten, one day received a message from a former resident saying “Please stop the sexual assault that has been going on for years [at the institution]. How long will this take place?”
She was startled to read it, but at the same time did not trust the anonymous sender. “I told him not to slander as there was no evidence for the accusation,” Dean told Tempo earlier this week.
The whistleblower eventually managed to convince her, following a meeting with several other former residents who claimed to have been victims of sexual assault at the orphanage. They pointed to founder Sudirman, 40, and caretakers Yandi, 29, as well as Yusuf Bachtiar, 30, as the alleged perpetrators.
After years of inner struggle, some of the victims finally decided to join forces to reveal the crimes in the hope of putting an end to them. They believe the sexual assaults occurred from the time the institution was established in 2006, and hundreds fell victim to the abuse.
Among the victims was a 16-year-old teenager identified only as “R”, who reported “countless sexual assaults” allegedly committed by the three perpetrators over some eight years.
“During my stay at the orphanage from 2016 to 2023, there were at least 25 underage children who experienced my suffering,” R said, adding that they could not avoid the abuse due to the power imbalance between them and their adult caretakers.
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