DPR Approves Witness and Victim Protection Law, PKB Legislator: It's Time for Victims to Be a Priority

Member of Commission XIII of the DPR from the PKB Faction, Fauqi Hapidekso, emphasized that the enactment of the revision of the Witness and Victim Protection Law (UU PSdK) is a strategic momentum to transform the face of Indonesian justice. From a system that has focused on punishing perpetrators (retributive), to a system that is oriented towards the recovery of witnesses and victims (restorative).

Fauqi called this ratification a fundamental step in reforming the criminal law paradigm in Indonesia, which has been considered unbalanced and too heavy in favor of the interests of perpetrators of crimes.

"We welcome the enactment of the PSdK Law. This law marks a fundamental shift in our criminal justice system, moving from an approach that focuses only on perpetrators, to being more oriented towards witnesses and victims," Fauqi told reporters, Wednesday, April 22.

Fauqi explained that the main philosophy of the latest PSdK Law emphasizes the restoration of victims' rights through strengthening the mechanism of restitution, compensation, and psychosocial rehabilitation. He emphasized that the state, through the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), is required to be more present in providing a tangible sense of security to witnesses and victims of crime.

"The PKB faction also specifically supports the transformation of LPSK into a state institution that is more adaptive, modern, and has a service reach to the corners of the region," said the PKB Faction Spokesperson.

Fauqi said that this institutional strengthening was considered crucial so that the protection function would no longer be just a jargon, but would become an integral and proportional part of the national criminal justice system.

He said that one of the crucial points fully supported by the PKB Faction was the establishment of the 'Eternal Victims Fund'. This policy is considered as a tangible manifestation of the presence of the state for vulnerable groups, especially victims of sexual violence, terrorism, and serious human rights violations.

"We emphasize that the management of this fund must be carried out affirmatively. The access procedure must not be complicated so that it can be reached by victims even in remote areas. This is part of fulfilling the constitutional rights of citizens in a just legal state," said Fauqi.

With this new rule, Fauqi hopes that there will be no more inequality in access to justice for victims.

"Future law enforcement is expected to be more effective in providing certainty of recovery, while eliminating the dominance of the legal orientation that has so far only been absorbed in the process of prosecuting perpetrators," he concluded.