Tiga Ananda publisher, a branch of PT Tiga Serangkai in Surakarta, Central Java, has pulled a children’s book from the shelves following complaints over its alleged pornographic content.
The book, titled “Aku Berani Tidur Sendiri” (I Can Sleep Alone), is part of the series “Aku Belajar Mengendalikan Diri” (I Learn Self Control) written by Fita Chakra.
Some content from the book went viral in social media networks, with complaints arising in regard to an illustration that allegedly shows a child masturbating.
Tiga Ananda General Manager Mas Adimuawan said that the book had actually had been pulled since December. Buyers were also encouraged to return the book.
“We will return the money based on the price tag. We have printed around 3,000 books, with 900 of them having been sold. We have pulled the remaining books from distributors to be destroyed,” said Adimuawan on Tuesday.
“We apologise for this. There was a mistake in the illustration that was not supposed to be seen and read by children,” Adimuawan went on.
The book was aimed at helping parents explain to their children about sex education, he said, adding that it was also meant to inform children on how to protect themselves from sexual assault.
“We have actually consulted a pediatrician and psychologist while compiling materials for the book. But we admit that we were careless for publishing an illustration that made readers uncomfortable. We do apologise for this,” said Adimuawan.
