Police hands over terrorists' children to social ministry

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- The East Java police has handed over the children of suicide bombers in Surabaya and Sidoarjo to the Social Affairs Ministry for further psychological treatment. East Java Police Chief Insp. Gen Machfud Arifin stated that the seven children comprised one daughter of a perpetrator in the Surabaya police headquarters bombing, three children of a perpetrator in the Sidoarjo attack, and three children of an alleged terrorist in Manukan, Surabaya.

The children have already received medical treatment at the Bhayangkara police hospital. The police worked in coordination with some parties for their psychological treatment.

"Today, we have transferred them to the Social Affairs Ministry to receive further treatment," he stated here on Tuesday.

Machfud said those children could be placed everywhere in East Java. The most important aspect is that they could receive appropriate religious education, he said.

After undergoing psychological treatment, the children will be handed over to their relatives. The Social Affairs Ministry will select the best location for the children to receive treatment.

Arifin noted that the children were in good physical condition. "However, there are some flaws in their perception that we want to rehabilitate. The ministry will also provide them school education," he noted.

Meanwhile, the ministry's Director for Children Rehabilitation Nahar stated that the ministry will be ready to rehabilitate the children.

"This is for the good of the children. Of course, we will adjust the location whether they would be comfortable in Surabaya, Malang, or also in Jakarta," he noted.

Earlier, on May 13, suicide bombers attacked three churches in Surabaya, killing dozens of people. Hours before, on Sunday evening, another bomb appears to have exploded prematurely in the Wonocolo apartments in Sidoarjo. In this case, both parents and their 17-year-old daughter died. Three other children survived.

A day after the attack, a family of five bombed the Surabaya police headquarters. A daughter of the attackers survived.

Later, the police shot dead a suspected terrorist in Manukan Wetan, Surabaya. The suspect had a wife and three children, who were then secured by the police.