T

he police say they have named Novi Susanti, a resident of Depok, West Java, a suspect in the death of her 5-year-old stepdaughter.

Depok Police detective unit commander Comr. Ronald Purba said they would charge Novi under Article 80 of the Child Protection Law on child abuse or neglect. She faces up to five years imprisonment if convicted.

'We are still studying her motives,' Ronald said on Tuesday.

The dead girl, Widia Astuti, was raised by her uncle, Ismail Tabrani, after her mother died in 2010.

Ismail said that he found his niece in convulsions with bruises and with blood oozing from her ear in the home where she lived with her father, Aa Supriadi and Novi in Tapos, Depok, on Monday afternoon.

Supriadi, Ismail and Widia's grandfather, Untung, brought the girl to Dompet Dhuafa Hospital in Bogor after Cibinong Hospital in Cikaret declined to admit Widia when the family could not pay Rp 1 million (US$102) a night for a hospital bed.

Unfortunately, Dompet Dhuafa also declined to treat Widia, claiming inadequate facilities. The girl died on the way to Karya Bhakti Hospital in Depok.

Untung brought Widia's body to his house, where Novi allegedly said that she had only pushed the girl against the bathroom wall.

He then reported Novi to the police, who took Widia's body to Sukanto Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, for an autopsy and summoned Novi for questioning.

The autopsy indicated the girl died from a blow to the back of her head, according to police.

Ronald said that Novi had told investigators that she had slammed Widia against the wall and hit her after she fell.

According to neighbors, Novi, who was rarely seen out of the house, was often seen her scolding the child.

Nia, a cellular phone credit vendor in the neighborhood, said that Novi stopped by her shop at 4 p.m. on Monday.

'She was in a rush. She said she needed [credits] because her daughter was sick and in convulsions,' Nia said.

National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA) chairman Arist Merdeka Sirait said he was dismayed by the news, particularly since he lives only 200 meters from Widia's neighborhood.

Arist urged the police to also question Widia's father for allegedly covering up the incident.

'When asked by the community unit leader in the area, the father said that his child had fallen. That's all. I believe that he knew what was going on but tried to hide it,' Arist said.

There were 576 cases of child abuse reported in Depok in 2012, according to the commission, which reported a total of 2,637 cases in Greater Jakarta in the same period.

Greater Jakarta's child abuse cases resulting in death

Nov. 25, 2012: The Jakarta Police declare Nurlena, 26, a suspect for allegedly torturing her stepdaughter, Ainy Yunistisia, to death. Ainy is hospitalized for four days at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta before she dies from brain injury and hemorrhaging.

Jan. 31, 2013: Five-month-old Rasya Alfino Azmi is found dead in his house in Karet Tengsin, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. The nanny, identified as IA, 21, who worked for the family for three months, is named a suspect for allegedly wrapping Rasya in a long piece of cloth to stop him from crying.

Feb. 13, 2013: Alafah Miftahul Huda, 2, is allegedly drowned by his mother in a community health center (Puskesmas) in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. The mother was previously admitted to a mental hospital.

March 16, 2013: DS allegedly beats her stepdaughter, Davina Lira Putri, 5, to death at her house. Vina suffers severe head injuries and other wounds to her body.

From various sources