Singkawang DPRD Member Defendant Of Child Abuse Sued 10 Years In Prison

SINGKAWANG - The Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Singkawang District Attorney demanded 10 years in prison for a member of the Singkawang DPRD with the initials HA, a defendant in a case of sexual intercourse with a minor.

Head of Public Prosecutor's Office Singkawang Heri Susanto after the trial said the Public Prosecutor demanded that the defendant be a member of the DPRD for 10 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 2.5 billion, and if it is not paid, it will be replaced with imprisonment for 3 months.

"In addition, the defendant HA was also charged with paying a restitution fee of Rp130 million and if not paid, he was replaced with imprisonment for 3 months and paid a court fee of Rp5000," said Heri as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, April 30.

According to him, HA was found guilty of committing a criminal act of intentionally committing violence or threats of violence, forcing him to have intercourse with him, as in the first alternative indictment violating Article 81 paragraph (1) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 17 of 2016 concerning the stipulation of government regulations in lieu of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning child protection into Article 76D of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning child protection.

Furthermore, the trial with the defense agenda of the HA legal advisor will be held on May 9, 2025.

Meanwhile, the Equatorial People's Legal Aid Institute (RAKHA), as a legal assistant to the victims, responded to the demands.

In his statement, Mardiana Maya Satrini and Agustini Rotikan conveyed that these demands did not reflect a sense of justice and had not yet touched the maximum limit as should be in cases of sexual crimes against children.

"We consider that these demands are not optimal. We still hope that the panel of judges in their decision imposes a maximum sentence as stipulated in Article 81 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 76D of Law no. 35 of 2014 concerning Child Protection, as amended by Law No. 17 of 2016," he said.

Referring to the law, the penalty is 15 years in prison and a third can be added if the perpetrator is a person with a power relationship or influence on children, including officials and religious leaders.

LBH RAKHA also emphasized that the defendant was a public official and community leader who should have been a protector, not a predator. The actions taken by the defendant were a form of betrayal of public trust and serious violations of children's rights.

"To the panel of judges, we ask to use their authority to impose a decision in favor of the victim. This is not only a matter of punishing the perpetrator, but a matter of the victim's future, about the deterrent effect, about moral messages and justice for the wider community. Do not let a light verdict give birth to public distrust of the judiciary," said Mardiana.

LBH RAKHA also called on the public and the media to continue to oversee the trial process until the end.

According to him, there must be a guarantee that justice is truly upheld, especially for victims of vulnerable groups such as children and underprivileged families.

Then separately, HA's attorney, Rochman will file a defense at a trial scheduled for May 9.

"We will file a defense (pleidoi) in accordance with the existing facts in court. We are also very confident that the Panel of Judges is objective in assessing every facts revealed in the trial in this case," he said.