Tantri Yuliandini, Jakarta – A woman in Tangerang, Banten, was sentenced to five years in jail for torturing her five-year-old daughter, and another mother was accused of burning her two small children, also in Tangerang.

Meanwhile, in a house in Cilincing, North Jakarta, seven-year-old Eka Rosiana was found strangled to death.

Child abuse is nothing new, but there seems to have been a marked increase in the number and severity of the crimes.

The National Commission for Child Protection alone saw a 67 percent increase in the number of child abuse reports to the commission in 2005 compared to the previous year.

"The number of child abuse cases has indeed increased recently, and the cases have also been more sadistic in nature," the commission's chairman Seto Mulyadi told The Jakarta Post recently.

Sexual abuse remained the most common form of abuse against children reported to the commission, with 327 cases, comprising over 44 percent of all cases during 2005, an increase of 48 percent compared to the previous year.

Physical abuse increased 66.4 percent to 233 cases in 2005 compared to 140 cases the previous year, while psychological abuse increased 120 percent to 176 cases from 80 cases in 2004.

Even more shocking was the fact that about 80 percent of the abuse was done by the mother of the child.

"Either in the name of discipline to teach obedience, or for reasons of stress, more than 80 percent of the cases we've found were done by the child's mother," Seto said.

Child abuse is often linked to cultural values as a necessary part of teaching a child discipline and obedience.

The problem was, according to Seto, that people still consider children as the property of their parents, who can therefore treat their children as they see fit. And this problem is not exclusive to those with low incomes.

"Children of well-to-do parents often become victims of their parents' personal ambition. Many are forced to achieve high ranks at school, or even to become child celebrities against their wishes," Seto said.

As household problems become more complicated, and life more difficult, stress factors come into play. And children still dependent on their parents are often easy targets when emotion takes over from common sense.

The woman who was sentenced to five years in jail by the Tangerang district court, for example, was there because she used to beat her five-year-old daughter. She used to pinch her genitals, and pull out her teeth using a pair of pliers, all because she blamed the girl for her husband leaving the family two years ago.

Siblings Indah Nopitasari, 3-years old, and Lintar Saputra, 11-months old, are now at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta with severe burns caused when their mother set fire to them after becoming angry at her drunk husband on New Year's Eve.

Seto believes that strengthening relationships within the neighborhood will help prevent child abuse.

"At the moment, our community and neighborhood units are weak; neighbors stay silent even when they see a child being abused by his parents," he said.

"When a neighbor shows signs of stress, it is wrong just to pretend nothing is the matter. They think it's none of their business. They're wrong! It is their business; neighbors should care about each other".

Which was why on Woman's Day on Dec. 21, 2005, the commission together with the office of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare proclaimed 2006 as Stop Child Abuse Year.

"Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo has agreed to make Jakarta our pilot project," Seto said, explaining that the commission will cooperate with the Family Welfare Organization (PKK) to raise awareness of child abuse.