Jakarta Police: 3 Suspects Paid Children to Join August Protest
Jakarta police say three suspects paid children to take part in a protest that erupted into riots on August 27, 2026.
In Jakarta, police have arrested three individuals suspected of exploiting children during a protest that took place on August 27, 2026. The suspects, identified as B, N, and P, allegedly recruited children and offered them money to participate in the demonstration. Rita Wulandari Wibowo, director of the Jakarta Metro Police’s Directorate of Women and Children Protection and Human Trafficking Prevention, stated that the suspects lured children with monetary incentives, offering B Rp55,000 per child, N Rp50,000 per child, and P Rp40,000 per child.
Rita revealed that the first suspect, B, recruited 53 children, while the second suspect, N, a woman, gathered 22 children. The third suspect, P, planned to recruit eight children. Police uncovered evidence of money transfers linked to the suspects. B's transfers totaled Rp2.35 million, N's amounted to Rp842,500, and P's totaled Rp250,000. However, Rita emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, and further evidence is required to determine if these suspects are involved in other illicit activities.
The three suspects face charges under Indonesia’s Child Protection Law, specifically Articles 76H and 87 for economic exploitation, which can result in a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of Rp100 million. Additionally, they are also charged under Articles 76I and 88 for alleged economic exploitation, potentially facing up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp200 million.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
