inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Social Affairs has stated its readiness to follow up on a report from the Healthy Soul Association (PJS) regarding alleged violence experienced by tens of thousands of people with mental disabilities in social institutions.

"We don't want to let this valuable information pass us by," said Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf during a meeting on Friday (2/27/2026).

Saifullah then emphasized that the follow-up steps are in line with President Prabowo Subianto's directive.

"As directed by the President, the point is that we must be able to investigate, we must be able to see what is called the invisible people. Those who inflict suffering on all of us," he said.

Furthermore, Saifullah explained that several follow-up steps his office will take include verifying the reported social institutions, checking their accreditation, strengthening oversight, and imposing sanctions if violence is proven to have occurred in the institutions.

On the same occasion, Yeni Rosa Damayanti, Chair of the Healthy Soul Association, stated that there are estimated to be tens of thousands of people with mental disabilities confined to social institutions.

"So, what we conveyed to the Minister of Social Affairs is that currently, there are tens of thousands, we estimate almost 20,000 people with mental disabilities confined to social institutions," she said.

Based on research conducted in dozens of social institutions, Yeni revealed that the Healthy Soul Association found that people with mental disabilities are treated as if they were not human.

"For a long time, people with mental disabilities have been considered less than human," she said.

One of the victims, Bejo, who attended the meeting, also shared his experience while living in a social care facility in Kebumen, Central Java.

Bejo said he lived there for five months, his feet chained to a 1.5-meter chain. He also reported that he only bathed once a month. He also claimed he was not allowed to pray.

Regarding food, Bejo said he often felt hungry because he was only given two meals a day.

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