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Number of child trafficking victims increases to 148: Police
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In crisis: Victim numbers in a recently uncovered child prostitution ring have risen to 148. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he number of victims in a recently discovered underage male prostitution ring for male clients has increased to 148, from the 103 previously reported, where most are under 17 years of age, a police officer has said.
“Still only three suspects have been named in the case. The number of victims we have identified has increased to 148, however,” Brig. Gen. Agung Setya, the special economic crimes unit director at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Monday.
He said 45 children the police further revealed as “victims” were believed to be protégés of AR, one of the three suspects—U and E are the other two.
Agung further said the number of U’s victims identified so far only stood at four. Meanwhile, E had both helped AR to recruit children and prepare accounts to receive client payments. Suspect E reportedly also used several of the children for his own sexual satisfaction.
Agung said most of the victims were from West Java and Jakarta. “We continually update the [case's] data and strive to comprehensively handle this case,” he said.
Bareskrim has handed over the rehabilitation process of the victims to the Social Affairs Ministry, which has prepared a safe house for them. Only seven victims have begun their rehabilitation at the facility. The police took them all into custody when they arrested AR at a hotel in Cipayung, Puncak, Bogor, West Java, on Aug. 30.
“We are using a safe house for the rehabilitation process so those children can still go to school,” said Agung. (ebf)
