Indonesia health ministry warns of grooming after three‑year kidnapping in Bandung

The Ministry of Health urged the public to recognise signs of grooming and to provide psychological, medical and legal support for victims, citing a recent case in Bandung where a woman was held captive for three years. Director Imran Pambudi described grooming as a systematic strategy in which perpetrators gain a victim’s trust through excessive attention, gifts and promises, then isolate and control them.

The victim, held by her boyfriend identified as TH, endured physical abuse, emotional manipulation and financial exploitation before the suspect was arrested by West Java police in Majalaya on 23 June 2026. Psychologist Stephani Raihana Hamdan of the Islamic University of Bandung classified the ordeal as an abusive‑relationship cycle, noting that victims often remain attached due to intermittent periods of affection that mask escalating violence.

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi had previously offered a reward for information leading to TH’s capture, underscoring the case’s prominence. Officials highlighted that grooming can affect both children and adults, urging families to create safe environments and to intervene when controlling behaviours emerge.