OVERVIEW

For the last two months, the Indonesian people have been fed with coverage on Engeline, an eight year-old girl who went missing and was finally found dead at her adopting parents’ premises in Bali. This story drew public attention, not only for the murder case, but also on the oversight of Indonesian adoption process.

In general, adoption process is regulated under Law No. 23 of 2002 on Child Protection, as amended by Law No. 35 of 2014 (“Child Protection Law”).  This law adhere to every child’s wellbeing as a part of the nation’s development, and that it is the state’s responsiblity to ensure the protection of child’s rights,[1] including their rights to be properly raised by their biological parents.