Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Indonesian court starts trial of daycare staffers in abuse case
Some grown-ups who worked at a daycare in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, are in trouble.
The police say they were not nice to the children they were supposed to look after.
Some of the children were tied up with ropes, and some were not given enough food.
This made many people very sad and angry.
A court has started to decide what should happen to 11 of the workers.
More than one hundred children were hurt, which is a very big number.
The parents went to court and asked for the workers to be punished.
They said some children are still scared of new people.
In Indonesia, hurting children can lead to jail time of up to five years.
The children's families hope they will all be safe and happy again.
An Indonesian court in Yogyakarta began a trial on Tuesday of 11 daycare staffers from the Little Aresha daycare over alleged abuse of children in their care.
Prosecutors charged the caregivers with neglect and child abuse, alleging they failed to give children proper food and tied their legs with rope for misbehaving.
The staffers are also accused of other acts that caused emotional disturbance and sleep disorder, with prosecutors identifying 144 child victims.
Police raided the daycare in late April and found dozens of children aged 2 to 6 with their hands and feet bound together, some tied to doors.
Yogyakarta police have named 32 people as suspects, and victims' parents attended the hearing seeking the maximum punishment for those involved.
- Who
- Eleven daycare staffers at the Little Aresha daycare in Yogyakarta, accused of child neglect and abuse, along with prosecutors, victims' parents and a parents' representative.
- What
- The staffers face charges of neglect and abuse of 144 children, including tying children's legs with rope and failing to provide proper food.
- When
- The trial began on Tuesday; the daycare was raided by police in late April.
- Where
- Yogyakarta, Indonesia, at the Yogyakarta court.
- Why
- Prosecutors allege the caregivers neglected and abused children in their care, a case children's rights advocates describe as one of the most significant child-abuse scandals in recent Indonesian history.
- Trial date
- Tuesday, August 18
- Staffers on trial
- 11 daycare staffers
- Number of child victims
- 144
- Suspects named by police
- 32
- Location
- Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Daycare centre
- Little Aresha
- Maximum prison sentence
- 5 years
- Maximum fine
- 100 million rupiah (about $5,603.81)