Indonesia school abuse scandal sparks soul-searching

Accusations that a six-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by cleaning staff at the nursery of the Jakarta International School, a favourite with the capital’s expatriates and wealthy Indonesians, sparked widespread anger this month.

A second child has since come forward claiming to have been assaulted at the nursery – which the government has now ordered to be closed – and the school has also disclosed it used to employ an American teacher who was suspected of being a prolific paedophile.

Police have arrested six cleaners contracted from an outside company over the recent abuse accusations, one of whom has committed suicide, and the school has pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

Beyond public anger over the alleged abuse at the elite school, the scandal has focused attention on a subject previously little discussed in Indonesia – the high incidence of child sex attacks, particularly in schools. 

The national commission for child protection says it received around 3,000 reports of sexual abuse of minors in 2013, double the figure from five years ago, with some 30 per cent of cases in educational institutions.

Commission member Seto Mulya-di said the figures were “only the tip of the iceberg”.

“Many cases still go unreported because victims’ families feel ashamed,” he added.

There has been much soul-searching in the national media on the subject following the Jakarta case, with commentators demanding that more action be taken to guarantee the safety of youngsters.

The Jakarta Post newspaper said in an editorial that the controversy had raised the question of “how safe our children are, including at reputable schools. “Law enforcers, educators and parents alike still have much to do to guarantee the safety and welfare of our children.”

Media have also focused intensely on other sex abuse stories in the wake of the scandal, such as one involving a six-year-old girl allegedly assaulted by a policeman in Aceh province, on western Sumatra island.

The child’s mother said she felt too “ashamed” to report the matter but when accusations surfaced the policeman abused a second girl, she decided to go to the police. The accused officer has since been arrested. 

However, even when attackers are caught, child safety campaigners say that sentences are typically too short to deter potential paedophiles.

The maximum sentence for a child sex offender in Indonesia is 15 years and a fine of up to US$26,000 (Bt837,000), but most who are convicted typically only receive three to five years in jail, campaigners say.

However, the debate sparked by the Jakarta case has led to calls for tougher punishment and politicians have started discussing increasing sentences for people who sexually assault youngsters. 

“The sentence should be increased to 20 years in prison at the minimum and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment,” said Minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar.

Senior education ministry official Lydia Freyani Hawadi said the case was a “golden opportunity” to improve checks on people applying to become teachers at schools.

Adding to the sense of crisis at the Jakarta International School, news emerged last week that William James Vahey, a 64-year-old US citizen described by the FBI as a “suspected serial child predator”, taught at the institution for a decade until 2002. 

But there have been no allegations that Vahey, who committed suicide last month when his then employer discovered a thumb drive containing graphic images of boys, carried out abuse at the Indonesian school.