Indonesian police name 14 more suspects in daycare abuse case, bringing total to 27

Police raided the daycare center in late April and said they found dozens of children aged between two and six years old with their hands and feet tied. Some children were tied to doors.

Police tape cordons off an area at a childcare centre, as Indonesian police investigate allegations of physical abuse involving young children, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, April 30, 2026.

(photo credit: REUTERS/Budi Satriawan)

ByREUTERS

JULY 6, 2026 09:20

Indonesian police have identified 14 additional individuals as suspects in an alleged child abuse and neglect incident at a daycare center in Yogyakarta city, an official stated on Monday, increasing the total number of suspects to 27 in a matter that has triggered widespread outrage across the nation.

Police raided the daycare center in late April, and said they found dozens of children aged between two and six years old with their hands and feet tied. Some children were tied to doors.

Police arrested 13 people at the time, including the owner of the Little Aresha daycare, its principal and caregivers, on suspicion of alleged child abuse and neglect. The daycare center, located in the cultural city of Yogyakarta, was also operating without a license, police said.

The new suspects included 10 caregivers, a security officer and administration staff, Apri Sawitri, head of child protection at Yogyakarta's police criminal investigation unit, told Reuters.

Unclear when a trial would begin

Apri said the caregivers were named suspects because it is alleged that they took part in the child abuse and neglect, while the security officer and other staff are alleged to have allowed it to happen.

The new suspects are being questioned, and police will decide whether they have grounds to make arrests, she added. Reuters could not immediately contact the lawyers representing the suspects.

The police had completed their investigation into the first 13 suspects and the provincial prosecutor's office is drafting formal charges to be submitted to a local court, Apri said.

It was unclear when the trial would start, she said, and more people could still be named as suspects as police investigations continue.