Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga urged the Ministry of Communication and Informatics to take action against organ trading websites on the internet.

Puspayoga deems this action as necessary following the kidnapping and murder of an 11-year-old boy in Makassar, South Sulawesi, with the motive of harvesting and trading the victim's organ.

"According to the suspects' confession, they are attracted by offers on an organ trade website. We ask the ministry to monitor such websites to prevent the recurrence of criminal cases whose motive is organ trade," Puspayoga noted, as per the statement here, Wednesday (January 11).

The minister remarked that the 11-year-old victim, identified by the initials as MFS, was kidnapped after the suspects offered him Rp50 thousand (US$3.2) in front of a convenience store in Makassar on Sunday (January 8).

The victim, who failed to return home, was found dead under a bridge in Moncongloe, Maros District, east of the city on Tuesday (January 10).

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Puspayoga said that after the first suspect, identified by the initial as A, aged 17, was lured by a cash offer on a trade organ website, he coaxed the second suspect, identified by the initials as MF, aged 14, into kidnapping a child for harvesting the organ.

The two suspects remain under police custody pending investigation, while another child has been named a witness in the case and is under protection at a safe house, the minister noted.

Puspayoga said the juvenile suspects would be charged under a special legal mechanism for an underage person.

"Because the suspects are juveniles, the (prosecution) process must refer to Law No. 11 of 2012 on Child Criminal Justice System," she stated.

The minister expressed hope that relevant authorities would handle the case properly to have a deterrent effect to prevent the case from recurring in future while laying emphasis on the aspects of child protection.

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Translator: Anita Permata D, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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