A man from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, was arrested in that country last week on charges he sold his 11-month-old baby to pay for his online gambling habit.
The 36-year-old, called RA in police documents, is from the town of Tangerang in the west of Jakarta. He is accused of selling his daughter for 15 million Rupiah, or around $955.
The man’s wife returned home to find their child missing, and persuaded him to turn himself in to police over the alleged incident. The child was later found at a nearby rental property, alongside two suspects who were arrested on human trafficking charges.
RA reportedly told police he sold the child to pay off debts, but couldn’t resist risking it via his online gambling accounts.
“There is no excuse to be treating children this way and violation of their rights has to be punished severely,” said Indonesian Child Protection Services head Ai Maryati, speaking to local media.
The Incident
RA reportedly owed friends, family and acquaintances money for gambling. To pay off his debt, police say he found a local Facebook group that included human traffickers.
He connected with two suspects, identified by police as HK and MO. He then allegedly took his daughter to a drop-off location and was paid 15 million rupiah, (US$950), to hand her over.
After discovering their missing child, RA’s wife got a confession from him, and then convinced him to tell police. Their child was later discovered at a rented property in Tangerang, just a few miles away. Police arrested MO and HK, and said they have known human trafficking connections.
Human trafficking can be punished by 15 years in jail under Indonesian law. RA is accused of criminal negligence under child protection laws, for which he could also face 15 years in jail. Police in South Jakarta recently busted a large human trafficking ring, taking children sold in the city to the island of Bali. Eight people were arrested.
Pay Up Baby
This incident in Indonesia is far from the first time a child has been sold to pay for gambling or gambling debts, as a quick internet search reveals.
An Israeli man was arrested in Jerusalem in 2015 for attempting to sell his child to undercover police officers. He wanted 100,000 shekels, or around $25,000, for his three-month-old daughter. He later revealed the money was to pay off gambling debts, police said.
More recently, in 2019, a Chinese man from Guiyang, Guizhou, attempted to sell his one-year-old daughter to pay off his gambling debts of $8,900.
Meanwhile, earlier in 2024 in the U.S, one woman from Chicago was sentenced for using her position in charge of a school meals program to fraudulently order and obtain $1.5 million worth of chicken wings. She then sold them to pay for her gambling habit.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
