Father of Penelantar Anak Sentenced to 100 Hours of Community Service at Banda Aceh Mosque

The trial of the child abandonment case at the Banda Aceh District Court in Banda Aceh, Thursday (25/6/2026). ANTARA/HO-PN Banda Aceh

BANDA ACEH - The Banda Aceh District Court (PN) panel of judges sentenced a father to 100 hours of social work for being proven to have abandoned his biological child.

PN Banda Aceh spokesman Jamaluddin said the identity of the defendant was disguised because the case concerned children.

According to him, the verdict is the first in the Banda Aceh District Court since the implementation of the alternative imprisonment system in the new Criminal Code (KUHP).

"The panel of judges sentenced him to four months in prison. However, the sentence was not served in the form of imprisonment, but was replaced with a social work sentence of 100 hours," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, June 26.

The verdict was read by a panel of judges headed by Fauzi with members Said Hamrizal Zulfi and Annisa Sitawati.

Jamaluddin said the defendant was proven to be legally and convincingly guilty of the crime of child neglect as stipulated in Article 76B in conjunction with Article 77B of Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Child Protection.

The social work sentence will be carried out at the Jami Al Hidayah Mosque, Gampong Peurada, Syiah Kuala District, Banda Aceh City, under the supervision of the public prosecutor.

The matter began when the defendant did not carry out his obligations as a father to his biological child after the divorce in 2014.

For years, the defendant did not provide proper sustenance, maintenance, education, or protection to his child.

The facts of the trial revealed that although the defendant had been a civil servant since 2019 and had a fixed income, the obligation to the child was still not fulfilled.

This condition caused the victim and her mother to experience economic difficulties until they had to move from place to place before finally settling in her mother's family home in Pidie Regency.

In addition, the results of psychological examinations presented in the trial showed that the victim suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which affected his emotional, behavioral, and developmental conditions.

In its consideration, the panel of judges emphasized that divorce does not remove the obligation of parents towards children.

All elements of the crime of child neglect have been met because the defendant knowingly allowed his child to not obtain the basic rights that should be fulfilled.

The panel of judges also considered a number of mitigating factors, namely the defendant admitted his actions, was cooperative during the trial, had never been convicted, and had made peace with the victim and his family.

In addition, the defendant has handed over Rp70 million in recovery money and is committed to providing a monthly allowance of Rp1 million, helping with the cost of education for children, and returning to fulfilling his responsibilities as a father.

"The panel of judges also considered that a restorative justice approach was more appropriate to be applied in this case because it was not only oriented towards punishment, but also the restoration of family relationships and the best interests of the child," said Jamaluddin.

He added that the verdict was an important milestone in the implementation of the new Criminal Code in the Banda Aceh District Court.

"With the implementation of this social work penalty, the Banda Aceh PN emphasizes that law enforcement can go hand in hand with recovery efforts, victim protection, and improvement of the behavior of perpetrators," he said.