Guarding The Case Of Novia Widyasari, Komnas Perempuan Submits A Letter Of Recommendation To The Mojokerto District Court

The dismissal of police officer Randy Bagus Hari Sasongko and a defendant in the abortion case of Novia Widyasari Rahayu. (Polda Jatim Doc)

JAKARTA - The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) submitted a letter of recommendation regarding the abortion case of Novia Widyasari Rahayu (23) who ensnared the fired policeman Randy Bagus Hari Sasongko to the Mojokerto District Court (PN) in East Java.

The Bureau of Consultation and Legal Aid of FH UB Yenny Eta Widyanti said that the recommendation letter was submitted to the Mojokerto District Court through the Justice Advocacy Team for Novia Widyasari on Monday 18 April. The submission coincided with the Amicus Brief from the Institute for Community Studies and Advocacy (ELSAM).

In submitting the recommendation letter, the independent state institution to protect women's rights outlined the Komnas Perempuan Annual Records (CATAHU) which consisted of 4,322 documented cases in 2021, with the highest number of cases of violence in the realm of domestic violence/personal relations as many as 2,527 cases.

"Including violence in dating. One of the cases that was reported and accepted by KOMNAS Perempuan was the case of Novia Widyasari," Yenny said in a written statement received on Saturday, April 23.

Komnas Perempuan believes that the victim of the late sister Novia Widyasari Rahayu has become a victim of violence in a courtship relationship in the form of sexual and psychological violence, especially in sexual exploitation and forced abortion, over a period of time.

Therefore, Komnas Perempuan encourages the Head of the Mojokerto District Court, in particular the Panel of Judges who examined the case of Novia Widyasari, to look at the vulnerability, misery, and suffering of Novia's late sister, which caused the victim to decide to end her life.

Furthermore, Komnas Perempuan also urges the Panel of Judges to give justice to the late sister Novia as a woman victim of violence, as mandated in Law no. 23 of 2004 concerning the Elimination of Domestic Violence and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), especially article 2 letter (c) which provides legal protection for women victims in the national legal environment.

"Article 4 of the Supreme Court Regulation (PERMA) No. 3 of 2017 concerning Guidelines for Adjudicating Women Facing the Law also mandates judges to consider the vulnerable position of women as victims of violence," continued the recommendation.

Furthermore, Komnas Perempuan encourages the Panel of Judges to impose a sentence based on Article 347 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code with a maximum penalty of twelve years.