"We encourage parents to build open communication with their children. Parents must also be more vigilant and increase supervision of children, especially when they play outside the home," the ministry's assistant deputy for children in need of special protection, Atwirlany Ritonga, said here on Monday.
It is important for parents to build open communication with children and instill courage in them to report any suspicious activity by strangers, she added. Recently, a kidnapping case involving social media dating came to light.
The ministry lauded the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency for acting quickly and arresting the perpetrator.
"We highly laud the Karawang Police for their quick action in taking action against the abductor (who kidnapped a teenage girl) under the guise of dating on social media. The victim was found by Karawang Police on Saturday, June 15, 2024," Ritonga informed.
The victim has returned to her family and the perpetrator has been detained, she informed. When the victim was found, she was in good health and was able to communicate well with other people.
Ritonga said that the victim underwent an examination, and the forensic results are still awaited.
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"We will continue to monitor and assist the victim and oversee the legal process," she said.
As per the details of the case, the 15-year-old girl, identified with the initial I, left her home in Karawang, West Java, on May 25. She allegedly ran away with the perpetrator, identified with the initials AR (26), a resident of Rangkasbitung, Banten. They knew each other from Facebook.
The victim's family reported the case to the ministry on May 29. The police launched a search and found I on June 15. The perpetrator was arrested and named a suspect. (INE)
