NTB Police Investigate Children's Marriage In West Lombok, Husband's Wife And Parents Are Reported

Marriage illustration. (Unsplash-Priskilla Du Preez)

JAKARTA - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional Police (Polda) revealed the findings of child marriage in Gunungsari, West Lombok Regency.

"Yes, for the case of child marriage in West Lombok, we are currently investigating. The discussion of articles related to forced marriage is in accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Crime of Sexual Violence (TPKS Law)," said Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the NTB Police, AKBP Ni Made Pujawati in Mataram, Friday, October 25, confiscated by Antara.

Pujawati said that the parties reported in this case were the guardians of the bride and groom's parents who allowed the marriage.

However, he said, the two parties reported were not yet suspects.

The investigation has not yet led to the determination of the suspect because it still needs to strengthen the evidence of the determination of the suspect from the testimony of witnesses and experts.

He said that this child marriage had not been legally registered in a religious court. However, he continued, religiously the marriage process was legal.

"So, penghulu, KUA, it has nothing to do with it, it's for official marriage, legally," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Mataram City Child Protection Agency (LPA) Joko Jumadi, who was confirmed, admitted that he was aware of this case.

"The case has actually been reported for a long time, last July," said Joko.

The reporter for the case, he said, was from the NTB Women and Children Protection Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD PPA).

Before submitting the report, Joko stated that the NTB PPA UPTD had conducted several socialization and education about preventing child marriage.

In fact, the parents who attended the event had agreed to prevent child marriage.

"However, the fact is that there are still secretly marrying their children like in this case. Therefore, UPTD PPA reports so that there is a determinant effect on parents," he said.

Joko does not deny that the potential suspect in reporting cases of child marriage is the parents of the bride and groom.

"If it's the parents of a woman, it's as a guardian. If it's a boy for allowing their child to marry. It's regulated in the Marriage Law," he said.

Although the bride and groom's parents have the potential to become suspects, Joko said that the child marriage included in the report at the NTB Police remains religiously valid.

Joko assured that this was in accordance with Article 174 of Law Number 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage.

"So, the marriage is still valid even though later the potential suspect will be reported," he said.