When Children Become Victims

KOMPAS/HARRY SUSILO

RD, 12, child in Cinangka with behavior similar to mental impairment, can only lay down on the floor.

At almost 11 years old, ASF looks more like a five-year-old than a preteen. ASF’s older sibling, AN, 12, often shows the childish behavior of paying attention only to the things he likes. AN often has seizures, a common symptom of lead poisoning.

ASF and AN are just two of the many children in Cinangka village, Ciampea district, Bogor, West Java, whose behaviors are similar to those suffering from mental impairments. Many children in the village also have their hands twisting inwards, another common indication of lead contamination in their blood.