MSAT Abuse Case Alias Mas Bechi, PKB Legislator Highlights Lack of Technical Guidelines for Handling Victims

The barracuda car was withdrawn from the Shiddiqiyah Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) during an attempt to arrest Moch Subchi Azal Tsani (MSAT) in Ploso District, Jombang, East Java, Thursday (7/7/2022) night. ANTARA/Syaiful Arif

JAKARTA - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the PKB faction, Luluk Nur Hamidah, highlighted the alleged molestation case by Moch Subchi Azal Tsani (MSAT) alias Mas Bechi against female students at the Majma'al Bahrain Islamic Boarding School Shiddiqiyyah, Jombang, East Java.

Luluk regrets that there is no socialization and technical guidance in the application of the Sexual Violence Law (UU TPKS). This makes victims of sexual violence not handled using procedural law by the TPKS Law.

"Victims of sexual violence after the ratification of the TPKS Law were not handled using the procedural law according to the TPKS Law, because there were no technical guidelines".

"This should be a serious concern for the government. Don't be impressed that you still have two years, then there is no reason to rush the Government Regulations and the Presidential Regulation", Luluk explained to reporters in Jakarta, Friday, July 8.

Luluk regrets that Government Regulations and Presidential Regulations have not been issued as derivatives of the TPKS Law. According to her, the lack of good coordination between institutions in the procedures for handling TPKS could potentially harm victims.

"This is unfortunate because it has the potential to harm victims. Not to mention the deadlock in the TPKS handling procedure due to unintegrated coordination between institutions. In the end, victims will continue to suffer because they do not receive immediate assistance and recovery", said Luluk.

Sympathizer Moch Subchi Azal Tsani (MSAT), a suspect in the sexual abuse of female students at the Shiddiqiyah Islamic Boarding School, Jombang Regency, was charged with a criminal offense under the Sexual Violence Act (TPKS). The maximum penalty is 5 years in prison.

"As many as 321 people (MSAT sympathizers) we have detained in the arrest process last Thursday. A total of five people have been named as suspects", said the Director of General Criminal Investigation of the East Java Police, Commissioner Totok Suharyanto, at Class 1 A Rutan in Surabaya in Medaeng, Sidoarjo Regency, Friday, July 8.

Commissioner Totok explained that 321 people were arrested for preventing the police from arresting the MSAT fugitive on Thursday. Of that number, four of them were named suspects.

"Meanwhile, one suspect nudged the police while trying to arrest MSAT on Wednesday, July 5", he said.

It is planned that the five suspects will be detained starting today. The suspect is charged with obstructing the investigation as referred to in Article 19 of Law Number 12 of 2022 concerning TPKS.