PUBLISHED ONApril 28, 2026 11:05 AMBYSean Ler"They covered my mouth, so I wouldn't cry."
That was the answer given by a toddler when asked by her mother, Erika Rismay, what teachers at a daycare centre in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta did to her.
The video, posted on TikTok, has received over 300,000 views at the time of this article's publication.
Videos circulating on social media show young children — mostly infants and toddlers — wearing only diapers, some with their hands and legs tied.
On April 24, the Indonesian National Police (INP) raided the daycare centre, Little Aresha Foundation, after a former employee lodged a report alleging that children there had suffered inhumane treatment.
During the raid, officers found evidence substantiating the allegation, with as many as 20 children crammed into a 3m wide room.
They were also found with their hands and legs bound, and some had minor injuries.
Yogyakarta police chief Eva Guna Pandia told reporters on Monday (April 27) that officers arrested 13 people for alleged mistreatment and neglect.
Rizki Adrian, who heads Yogyakarta police's criminal investigation unit, said 53 of the 103 enrolled children are believed to have been victims of abuse or neglect, adding that the majority of them were under two years old.
Staff at the daycare centre said they did so to prevent the young children from disturbing others, amidst manpower constraints, said police.
Local authorities also said Little Aresha Foundation does not have a valid licence to operate.
@asiaone A heartbreaking conversation between mother and child, as Erika Rismay's daughter told her what teachers at Little Aresha Foundation - a daycare centre in Indonesia's Yogyakarta - did to her. #news #Indonesia #Children #Childcare #Police ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
Parents like Erika are now overcome with guilt over their choice to enrol their children at the centre.
"My child, forgive me," Erika wrote in the video's caption. "No wonder you cried hysterically every day when leaving for school. And when you came home, you were silent and spaced out, like you were hypnotised."
AFP reported another parent, Noorman Windarto, a civil servant, asking himself how he had missed the signs.
"Why is it that every day when he gets home, he always complains that he's still hungry, asking for food, a drink, milk," Noorman said. "It turns out we didn't notice the signs that something was wrong."
Yogyakarta mayor Hasto Wardoyo has reportedly met with affected parents to help them find alternative childcare arrangements.
He also promised to conduct checks on all childcare facilities in the city, especially those operating without official permits.
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