Indonesian couple, 19 & 22, arrested after husband allegedly drowns 20-month-old stepdaughter in public toilet

A 22-year-old Indonesian man has been accused of murdering his 20-month-old stepdaughter by drowning her in a bucket inside a public toilet across from Kebayoran Station in South Jakarta on Oct. 31, 2026.

According to local outlet Kompas, the suspect and the child's 19-year-old biological mother carried out the crime because they could no longer afford to care for the toddler.

The stepfather is unemployed while the biological mother is a busker, Kompas reported.

The couple later wrapped the victim's body in plastic and buried her in a vacant lot in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta.

Both have been arrested.

Witnesses heard screams

Kebayoran Lama Police Chief Commissioner Seala Syah Alam told reporters on Nov. 2 that the attendant at the public toilet grew suspicious after noticing the parents' suspicious behaviour and hearing the victim scream, Kompas reported.

The stepfather allegedly took the girl into the restroom twice, at around 7pm and again around 11pm, during which witnesses reported hearing her cries.

The attendant called the police to report a suspected case of sodomy. However, investigations revealed that it was, in fact, a murder.

According to Seala, the man held the child by her legs and repeatedly forced her head into the bucket.

Once the toddler was dead, he told his wife what had happened.

To cover up the crime, the couple wrapped her body in plastic and buried it roughly 50cm deep in an empty lot in Bendungan Hilir.

Signs of malnutrition and abuse

Police reportedly disclosed that the victim had a three-year-old brother, who has since been placed in the care of social services.

In a CNN Indonesia report, Seala said that the suspect committed the crime because the family couldn't make ends meet. The couple allegedly chose to kill the younger child.

An autopsy conducted at a police hospital revealed that the victim was severely malnourished at the time of her death.

Forensic pathologists also found extensive evidence of prior physical trauma, including bone fractures and injuries to her internal organs, according to Kompas.

Brought back to crime scene

The couple remains in custody.

The stepfather faces charges of premeditated murder and child abuse, while the mother is accused of concealing a corpse to hide a homicide.

Investigators recently brought the man back to the crime scene, where he reenacted how he killed the child and buried her body.