Malika: Jakartan Girl Found After 26 Days Of Kidnapping

Liputan6.com, Central Jakarta - A 6-year-old Jakartan girl was finally found after 26 days of kidnapping. She was taken by a middle-aged man in Central Jakarta, December 2022.

The kidnapper was familiar to the victim's family. He was reported to be generous in giving gifts to the children in the area, and he was able to easily kidnap the girl in Gunung Sahari area. 

The identity of the man was revealed to be Iwan Sumarno (42) who used different aliases. The police spread his photos on social media and revealed that the man was involved in a lewd case. 

The kidnapper was finally in South Tangerang City on Monday night. Iwan, who worked as a scavenger, did not resist when the police surrounded him. 

The girl, Malika, was confirmed to be safe, although seemed confused at first.

"The victim was seen to be very weary, confused because there were so many people. But after receiving an explanation and being reminded of her mom, the victim realized, and asked to be taken home immediately," said the Chief of Central Jakarta Resort Police, Chief Commissioner Komarudin, Tuesday (3/1/2022).

Police managed to arrest Iwan after receiving reports from Tangerang area that someone with Iwan's likeness. South Tangerang City is located just outside Jakarta. 

Video showed how Malika's mother hugged her daughter tightly. Malika was also able to show her smile to the camera. Police are also providing psychiatric help for Malika.

Police have not been able to immediately reveal Iwan's motif in this kidnapping. Iwan was reportedly giving inconsistent explanations to the police. 

However, the perpetrator said he did it out of love. 

"The explanations from the perpetrator are still complicated, admitting that he only wanted to protect Malika, and then he loved Malika, and therefore wanted to accompany her every day," said Komarudin.

The police said they will try to reconstruct the case from the beginning of the kidnapping until the day Malika was found.

Moreover, the police are also still trying to understand how the perpetrator was able to manipulate the victim who was willing to go with him.

Meanwhile, the police promise that they will take care of Malika's healing, both physically and psychologically. The girl is being treated the Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

The police also assure the public the treatment for Malika will be free of charge.