TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The recent unveiling of a string of pedophilia cases—the arrest of Ahmad Sobadri alias Emon, 24, for sodomizing 73 boys in Sukabumi and a sexual harassment case at Jakarta International School—and the high number of victims in the cases have seized the attention of both the Interpol and FBI.
"They said pedophilia cases in Indonesia were the highest in Asia,” National Police criminal investigations chief Gen. Suhardi Alius told Tempo last week.
Suhardi received the information after paying visits to both agencies last April. He said he previously disagreed with them about the data and told them Thailand remained the country with the highest phedophilia cases in Asia. “They gave me data and I believed it,” said Suhardi.
Pedophilia cases Indonesia has been in the international spotlight since 2001, when an Italian tourist by the name of Mario Manara sexually abused a 12-year-old kid on Lovina Beach, Buleleng, Bali.
Mario was only jailed for nine months due to the feeble law against the crime at the time. The Law on Child Protection was issued in the wake of Mario case.
MUSTAFA SILALAHI
