An Australian man who tried to help a Bali family who reported their daughter missing demanded a photo of the girl from her supposed kidnappers before handing over any money.
Chris Burns told Bali police on Wednesday about his experience with the sisters of Engeline, eight, whose body was found buried in her backyard three weeks after a social media campaign was mobilised to find her.
Mr Burns told reporters that when he responded to the campaign, Engeline's sister Yvonne claimed the adopted girl was being held by kidnappers.
"I offered to help her if she could prove that Engeline was safe and could be traded," he said.
Police have broadened their murder investigation, which at first focused on a staff member at the family's Sanur home, to the woman who adopted Engeline and her family.
Children's rights activist Siti Sapurah says after Mr Burns offered to prepare cash to give the kidnappers when the proof was supplied, Yvonne became demanding.
Ms Siti says Yvonne was forwarding text messages to Mr Burns, claiming they were from the kidnappers.
"They said, 'why hasn't it been transferred yet? We're not fooling around. If you want something happen to your sister, it's your choice. Transfer it quick!'" she said.
"The language was always like that."
Mr Burns gathered Rp 10 million ($1000) of the Rp 150 million that was asked, but never handed it over, she said.
"He was sympathetic. Chris thought this girl was really missing," she said.
"He has a three-year-old child and he was thinking, what if it happened to him?"
She suspects he was not the only kind foreigner to have been tangled in the case.
"I've brought some documentation and we will ask the police to trace them," she said, referring to copies of the text messages, Facebook posts and bank details.
Engeline's sad story has gripped Indonesia for weeks, leading to calls for harsher punishments for child abuse and tighter laws around adoption.
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