Komnas Perempuan Values The Need For Safe Abortion Services For Rape Victims

Illustration of the Komnas Perempuan Building in Jakarta. (doc. Setkab)

JAKARTA - The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) views that the fulfillment of the rights of women victims of rape and sexual violence to safe abortion services should be adequate and comprehensive.

"When this service is not available, victims are at risk of engaging in the practice of unsafe abortion which will be fatal to him, or then placing him as a party in conflict with the law on the request of abortion to take the life of the fetus he just born. This condition makes the victim of a criminal act of sexual violence even worse," said Komnas Perempuan member Satyawanti Mashudi when confirmed in Jakarta, Wednesday, October 2, confiscated by Antara.

According to Satyawanti, safe abortion services are a real need for victims of rape and other criminal acts of sexual violence, and are part of a recovery system that must be available to women victims.

Komnas Perempuan views this service as intended to reduce the threat of mental health problems in victims due to pressure from unwanted pregnancies.

Komnas Perempuan noted that 103 victims of rape resulted in pregnancy reporting their cases directly to Komnas Perempuan from 2018 to 2023.

"Almost all of them do not get access to safe abortion," said Satyawanti.

His party gave an example of criminalization of rape victims in Jambi in 2018 against a 15-year-old girl who was raped by her older brother, until finally the victim was sentenced to six months by the local District Court.

"At the High Court level, this child was released because the judge was of the opinion that the victim (abortion) was forced," he said.