The Snare of Prostitution and Drugs in Children Starts with Hanging Out

Hanging out is the entry point for children to fall into the world of prostitution and drugs. The environmental influence is very strong.

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

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JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The snare of drugs and prostitution are still vulnerable to "binding" children . Those who live in urban areas and tourist centers are the most vulnerable to becoming victims. They fell into it starting from hanging out.

Acting Chairperson of the National Commission for Child Protection, Lia Latifah, Saturday (27/4/2024), said that the worlds of prostitution and drugs cannot be separated. These two elements are commonly used to ensnare children. The case of the death of FA (16) due to being fed drugs by his customer in South Jakarta is an example of a recurring case.

FA was attracted by the invitation of his friend, AP (16), who offered him a job to serve customers for a wage of Rp 1.5 million. However, upon arriving at the hotel, FA was drugged with ecstasy and methamphetamine. AP only lost consciousness for a few hours, but FA died allegedly due to overdose.

Also read: Child Sex Worker Dies of Being Forced on Drugs

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

Communication applications that are often misused as a space for online prostitution transactions, Wednesday (17/1/2023).

"The victim did not know what had happened. She only saw her pants were wet and (some time later) it turned out she was pregnant," he said.

Both of these methods demonstrate the vulnerability of children entering the world of prostitution and drugs. According to research by Komnas Anak, two regions that often sacrifice children entering the world of prostitution are in urban areas and tourist spots. "One of them is Puncak (Bogor Regency)," he said.

Looking at the composition, children living in urban areas are 60% vulnerable to being trapped in prostitution and drugs. Meanwhile, in tourist centers, the composition reaches 35%. "Because environmental factors also play a role," said Lia.

There are several reasons why children fall into this trap, ranging from economic reasons to wanting to earn money to fulfill their daily needs. Another reason is the glamourous urban lifestyle which creates opportunities for drugs and free sex presented as ways to have fun.

“Sometimes, children who have become sex workers choose their own clients. "The goal is just to have fun," said Lia.

However, regardless of the motive, children still have to be placed as victims. They do not yet have a broad understanding to distinguish what is good and not. It is adults who should be responsible for everything that happens to children.

Also read: Beware of the Snares of Child Prostitution

ARSIP KOMPAS

CA (25) met a customer in Jakarta, Sunday (19/2/2023). CA often offers underage children for prostitution via Twitter social media.

Lia believes that many children who get involved in prostitution and drugs are initially driven by discomfort at home. "The lack of communication or even domestic violence is the cause of children being unhappy at home," she said.

This is the condition that every parent must be aware of, so that their child does not fall into the trap of prostitution and drugs. Lia says that nowadays, information can be easily obtained, including pornographic images or videos that infiltrate children's minds and eventually lead them into the real world. The same goes for drugs.

The investigation will include examining conversations between the victim and the perpetrator to ensure there are indications of human trafficking in this case.

Law enforcement officials, especially the police, must play a role in imposing sanctions on perpetrators. "All crimes related to children must be resolved quickly. Rehabilitation also needs to be done immediately so that this incident does not cause trauma," said Lia.

"The investigation will include examining conversations between the victim and the perpetrator to ensure there are indications of human trafficking in this case," he said.

Not only that, the police will detect where the perpetrators obtained their illegal drugs and weapons.

VINA OKTAVIA

Evidence of methamphetamine confiscated by the Lampung Province National Narcotics Agency in 2018.

One of the perpetrators, AN, admitted that he was only offered by AP for a date. "Indeed, I have been on a date with AP four times. But with FA, it was the first time," he said. AN admitted that he did not know that he was dating children.

For their actions, the two suspects were charged under Article 338 of the Criminal Code concerning murder and Article 359 concerning negligence causing death.

In addition, because the victim is a child, both perpetrators were also charged under Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection. The two suspects were also charged with Article 1 Paragraph (1) of Emergency Law Number 12 of 1951 for possessing illegal weapons and ammunition.