CHILD ABUSE - INDONESIA

Boyce

1. Robert Finnegan was editor of the Jakarta Post at the time of the first Bali Bomb.

(Finnegan clashed with Ralph Boyce, the then U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, and got sacked. Reportedly, Finnegan had produced evidence linking the Bali Bombing to the security services.  The Bali Bomb, Ralph Boyce and Robert Finnegan)

"Finnegan said that while he was with the Jakarta Post, he became aware that Boyce, while ambassador in Jakarta, used the services of two known local procurers of child prostitutes and sex slaves.

"They were both Indonesian nationals, one was a CIA asset operating as a businessman and the other was a journalist."

Indonesia: JAKARTA, BANGKOK AND BOYCE

Indonesians love to hug.

2. In Indonesia, "child abuse cases have reached a record high."

Child abuse cases reach record high - Jakarta Post 20 February 2013.

A girl from Jakarta has been "systematically raped by her biological father since she was 13 and now is one-and-a-half-months pregnant.

"It took five years for the girl to summon up the courage to tell her grandfather and file a report with police."

The National Commission for Child Protection plans to transfer the girl from her house to a shelter for victims of abuse.

Government institutions for waifs and strays are notoriously nasty and unsafe.

"An 11-year-old girl from... Jakarta, was allegedly raped by her biological father ... last year in their home...

"The girl died last month after being in a coma for over a week... 

Indonesians

"These two horrific incidents are only the tip of the iceberg.

"In Greater Jakarta last year, 2,637 child abuse cases were reported..."

In Greater Jakarta, "police have arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly molesting at least 15 boys living around his neighborhood... 

"Some of the boys did not resist at all when the suspect took off their clothes and molested them because they were not aware that what he was doing was wrong...

"The police have not done much for these cases... with more than half of the cases failing to even reach the courts, with the law enforcement agencies complaining of a lack of hard evidence. Only 18 percent of the cases that made through to court were ever resolved...

"Psychologist Ratih Andjayani... declares: 'It happens in every level of society.' 

Jakarta

3. A newborn baby "died over the weekend" after a number of hospitals in Jakarta refused to admit the sick girl.

Newborn dies after 10 hospital rejections; twin survives

Eliyas struggled to find a hospital for Dera. 

"As a Jakarta resident, Eliyas should be entitled to free third-class health services at 88 city-owned, state-owned and private hospitals by showing a Jakarta Health Card - a program initiated by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo..."

Eliyas went to the city-owned Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta, where they were turned away because of a 'lack of rooms'.

Eliyas later drove to the huge state-owned Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta.

"They said they didn’t have a room for my baby," Eliyas said.

They continued on to state-owned Harapan Kita Hospital, to no avail. By day four, they had visited a total of 10 hospitals.

Indonesians

4. A little kid called Bangbang was found in the street and taken to a Jakarta hospital.

When I returned to the hospital the following evening, I found Bangbang strolling along one of the corridors, on his own. I took him by the hand and returned him to his ward.

"I found Bangbang wandering around the hospital," I said to Fatma, the nurse in charge. "He should be kept in the ward. He might try to run off."

Fatma and her assistant seemed unconcerned. They continued watching the TV in their little office.

Next evening I returned to the Dipo Hospital to find Fatma and her friend busy eating chicken stew. There were no patients to look after.

"Bangbang has run off," said Fatma, looking surprisingly happy.

"What!" I shouted. "Have you looked for him?"

"The hospital guards looked all over. He’s gone." They carried on eating, picking up bits of chicken in their fingers.

"All you do is sit in your office and eat and watch TV," I said. "You only have one child to look after and you manage to lose him!"

They smiled, refusing to be unfazed.

Oh dear. What would Bangbang’s parents say?

"I’m going to see the hospital’s director," I announced, hoarsely. I wanted someone to take the blame and I didn’t want it to be me.

I strode along corridors and up flights of stairs until I came to a grand hallway and the offices of the hospital’s top people. The Director of the Dipo Hospital had an office that reminded me of a ballroom at a Grand Hyatt. But it was empty, as was the office of the deputy.

"When will they be back?" I asked a secretary, seated at a desk in the hallway.

"Next month," she said. "They’ve both gone on the Haj pilgrimage."

There was no one at the hospital on whom I could vent my rage.

BANGBANG ON JALAN SUDIRMAN
Dr. Joseph
What would Bangbang's parents say?