Highlighting Issues Of Child Sexual Violence, Deputy Head Of DPR Values Social Environment Problems Must Be Payed Attention

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JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal strongly condemns acts of sexual violence against children and toddlers which have recently become rampant. Cucun asked the Government to take preventive steps so that incidents like that do not happen again.

"I am concerned about the rampant cases of sexual violence against children that have occurred recently. This is an alarm for all of us about how vulnerable our children are to various forms of violence," said Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal, Tuesday (12/24/2024).

Cucun also assessed that one of the factors causing sexual violence against children could be due to social problems in the child's environment. The vulnerability of the social environment is said to have become the attention of stakeholders in order to be overcome through various approaches.

"I think this could be due to social problems in the environment. This situation shows a child protection system that needs to be reviewed and strengthened again," explained Cucun.

In fact, Indonesia already has many legal instruments for child protection. Such as Law Number 12 of 2022 concerning the Crime of Sexual Violence. The law regulates the prevention, handling, protection, and recovery of all forms of sexual violence, including children.

In addition, perpetrators of sexual abuse against children can also be sentenced based on Article 291 of the Criminal Code. If the act of harassment results in serious injuries, the perpetrator can be sentenced to up to twelve years in prison. If the action causes death, the sentence can increase to fifteen years.

There is also Law Number 23 of 2004 concerning Child Protection. Articles 81 and 82 of this Law stipulate that perpetrators of sexual harassment against children are sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison.

According to Cucun, law enforcement in cases of sexual violence against children must be strictly applied.

"In line with strict law enforcement, there needs to be a transformation in the reporting system of cases of sexual violence against children, with the main aim of providing better protection for women and children," said the legislator from the West Java II electoral district.

Cucun also reminded the spirit of Law Number 4 of 2024 concerning Maternal and Child Welfare in the First Day of Life (UU KIA) Phase that children's growth and development is a collective responsibility with all elements of the nation. Both parents, families, the government, the DPR, law enforcers and other policy makers, even the environment in every sector of life.

"Including the safety of children is our responsibility to ensure the welfare of children. There must be education for all elements to protect children from sexual violence," added Cucun.

The DPR coordinator for community welfare (Kesra) also emphasized the importance of preventing sexual violence in children which must be promoted in every sector. Cucun invites the public to build awareness that protecting children from every form of violence is the capital for the development of the nation.

"We must not only focus on law enforcement, but also on prevention so that cases of violence against children do not happen again," said Cucun.

Data from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection SIMFONI records that sexual violence ranks at the top as the most common type of violence experienced by children in 2024. The number of victims of sexual violence against children in 2024 reached 7,623 cases.

This figure was followed by physical violence with 3,039 cases, psychological violence with 3,019 cases, neglect of 911 cases, exploitation with 169 cases, and trafficking with 91 cases.

"These data can be the basis for educating the public about the importance of protecting children and their rights. The community must be empowered to recognize signs of violence and know how to report them," explained Cucun.

"Every report on alleged sexual violence must be taken seriously and quickly so that no other victim experiences a similar situation," he continued.

On the other hand, Cucun hopes that law enforcement will be carried out consistently and based on the principle of justice, so that there will be no more freedom for perpetrators of sexual violence that continues to threaten the safety of Indonesian children.

The reason is, the impact of sexual violence against children in addition to physical illness is also trauma that can occur in a long time or even throughout the child's life. He asked the Government to provide psychological assistance to children victims of sexual violence.

"No child can feel fear or trauma from acts of violence. Let's unite to create a safe and healthy environment for all Indonesian children," concluded Cucun.