Rape And Abortion Case Not Regulated In TPKS Bill, Komnas Perempuan: Despite The Crown Issue

Illustration of sexual violence. (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Chairman of Komnas Perempuan Andy Yentriyani regrets that cases of rape and forced abortion are not regulated in the Draft Law on Criminal Acts of Sexual Violence (RUU TPKS).

This is because these two criminal acts will become the substance in the discussion of the Revised Criminal Code (RKUHP).

"Rape and other forced sexual relations are the crowning issues of acts of sexual violence. It is important to remember that rape and other forms of forced sexual intercourse are the most reported cases to Komnas Perempuan and service providers every year, both in the personal sphere as well as in the public sphere," he said in a press release in Jakarta, Thursday, April 7, as reported by Antara.

He said that of the total 4,323 cases of violence reported to service institutions in 2021 in the personal and public spheres, as many as 2,638 or 63 percent were cases of rape and other forced sexual relations.

According to him, the provisions in the Criminal Code overlap between articles on rape, sexual intercourse, and obscenity. Komnas Perempuan proposes that the contents of Article 6c become a separate article as a bridge to overcome the risk of waiting time for the determination of the RKUHP.

"This step can ensure that the TPKS Bill increasingly contains legal breakthroughs that are important milestones in efforts to eliminate sexual violence. This improvement does not need to wait for the revision of the RKUHP, but becomes material that will be harmonized in the process of formulating the revised Criminal Code. This bridge article can anticipate losses to victims of rape and coercion other sexual relations while waiting for the determination of the revision of the Criminal Code," he said.

The RKUHP is planned to be discussed and set at the June 2022 session.