Indonesian couple, 19 & 22, arrested after husband allegedly drowns 20-month-old stepdaughter in public toilet
They allegedly did it because they could not afford to care for her.
On October 31, 2026, a 22-year-old Indonesian man, a stepfather, was arrested in South Jakarta for allegedly drowning his 20-month-old stepdaughter in a public toilet near Kebayoran Station, according to local newspaper Kompas. The child's 19-year-old biological mother was also arrested for allegedly hiding the victim's body in a vacant lot, Kompas reported. The couple claimed poverty forced them to kill the toddler, noting the stepfather is unemployed and the mother works as a busker.
Police were alerted after witnesses heard the child screaming inside the public toilet around 7 pm and 11 pm that night, Kebayoran Lama Police Chief Commissioner Seala Syah Alam told reporters. The attendant at the restroom suspiciously observed the parents' actions and heard the child's cries, leading police to investigate the scene. Initially, the police believed the incident was sodomy, but further investigation revealed it was a murder.
The autopsy indicated the victim was severely malnourished and had suffered extensive physical trauma, including bone fractures and internal organ injuries, according to Kompas. The couple wrapped the toddler's body in plastic and buried her roughly 50cm deep in an empty lot in Bendungan Hilir. The biological mother is accused of concealing the corpse, while the stepfather faces charges of premeditated murder and child abuse.
Authorities recently brought the stepfather back to the crime scene, where he reenacted the murder and burial process.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
