Govt Pledges to Punish Perpetrators of Sexual Violence

The government is committed to imposing heavy punishments on perpetrators of sexual violence. An investigation and improvement of boarding schools are also to be carried out.

KOMPAS/YOLA SASTRA

Members of the West Sumatran Women Care Network take part in a peaceful protest against sexual violence against women and children on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman in front of the Sumatran Governor's Office, Padang, West Sumatra, Thursday (25/11/2021). This action responds to the rampant cases of sexual violence, especially against children, in West Sumatra as well as to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

DEPOK, KOMPAS — Police have uncovered a number of sexual crimes, especially involving minors in recent months. Perpetrators of sexual violence should receive heavy punishments as they have committed an extraordinary crime.

“The state is ready to take decisive action. It is part of its mutual commitment," Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati Puspayoga said in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday (14/12/2021). She said that the President had paid special attention to the sexual violence cases.

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas had also shown firmness. "I have ordered all offices [under the Religious Affairs Ministry] to investigate schools like this [boarding school] where sexual violence is believed to take place," he said during a visit to the Sheikh Nurjati State Islamic Institute in Cirebon City on Tuesday.

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Number of cases

A number of sexual violence cases have been uncovered recently. One of them involves MMS (52), a religion teacher, who was recently arrested by the police for allegedly abusing 10 female students aged 10-15 years in Kemirimuka, Beji in Depok, West Java.

Head of the public relations department of the Jakarta Police, Commissioner Endra Zulpa said on Tuesday (14/12) that the case was discovered after one of the victims told her parents about the sexual abuse. It turned out that other parents also received the same information from their children.

The alleged sexual violence in Depok took place from October to December 2021. Before committing the crime, the perpetrator intimidated the victims while studying religion at around 5 p.m.. After that, he gave Rp 10,000 (70 US cents) in cash to the victims.

MMS was charged with Article 76E in conjunction with Article 82 of Law No. 35/2014 concerning child protection in conjunction with Article 64 of the Criminal Code. The perpetrator faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison or a maximum fine of Rp 5 billion.

A similar case also occurred in the city of Bandung. The central government had also stepped in to handle the rape case allegedly conducted by Herry Wirawan (36), a teacher at a religious boarding school in Bandung, against 13 of his students.

At the time of the incident, the victims, who came from underprivileged families, were aged 13-16 years. Herry committed his crime between 2016 and 2021, resulting in the birth of nine babies. He has been taken to court and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and additional punishment of castration.

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In Palembang, South Sumatra, on Tuesday, two lecturers of Sriwijaya University (Unsri), AR (34) and RG (36), were temporarily suspended for their alleged involvement in sexual harassment against their students. The university’s rector Anis Saggaf said the disciplinary measures were taken after the two were named suspects in the sexual harassment case.

If the two are found guilty, they could be dismissed from their positions as lecturers and civil servants.

In Aceh, the North Aceh police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Riza Faisal said SR (38) was accused of repeatedly raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter sometime in April 2021. The man threatened to divorce the victim’s mother if she resisted. "The victims are scared and feel traumatized," Riza said.

This case only came to light in November. On Wednesday (24/11), the police arrested and detained SR.

Heavy punishment

KOMPAS/SONYA HELLEN SINOMBOR

Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati.

Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang said that specifically in the Herry case, the head of the West Java High Prosecutor's Office would act as a public prosecutor (JPU) to give the defendant the most severe punishment.

Severe punishment is needed so that the victims will get justice. The handling of the case is also expected to be a breakthrough in dealing with sexual violence cases, becoming the guidelines for similar cases in the future.

According to Bintang, there was also an indication that Herry was also involved in the embezzlement of the government’s social assistance. "The President has asked all offices to coordinate with each other. These victims are mostly children and all [parties] should be responsible to meet their basic rights. Legal support should be given as much as possible," she said.

The head of the West Java Prosecutor's Office, Asep N Mulyana, said his office was ready to become public prosecutor in this case.

Investigation

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut said he would carry out an investigation into pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) where sexual violence takes place.

Yaqut did not say how many Islamic boarding schools would be investigated. However, based on the ministry’s data, there are 34,075 Islamic boarding schools in the country. He said he was worried that the case in Bandung was only the tip of the iceberg of sexual violence in boarding schools. The ministry was committed to solving the case, he added.

Yaqut promised to immediately improve the procedure in the issuance of permits for the establishment of religious boarding schools as part of the measures to prevent sexual violence cases in the future.

So far, victims are afraid to report because they think it is a disgrace and are afraid of being victimized.

Faqihuddin Abdul Kodir, an activist with the Indonesian Women's Ulemas Congress network, assessed that the improvement in the licensing procedure would not be enough in preventing sexual violence in boarding schools. “Blaming the licensing procedure will only obscure the case. Sexual violence can happen anywhere," he said.

That is why perpetrators of sexual violence must be processed in accordance with the existing law. "No less important is the cultural approach. So far, victims are afraid to report because they think it is a disgrace and are afraid of being victimized. The public must be aware that nobody wants to be a victim of sexual violence,” he said. (GIO/ RTG/ IKI /AIN/ RAM)

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.