DPR RI And Enforcement Of The TPKS Law: Highlights And Hopes In The Future

Photo by Dino Januarsa on Unsplash

JAKARTA - One of the monumental heritages of the DPR RI for the 2019-2024 period is the ratification of the Law on the Crime of Sexual Violence (UU TPKS) on April 12, 2022. This law is an important legal umbrella in protecting victims of sexual violence in Indonesia. However, even though it has been ratified, the implementation of the TPKS Law is still a big challenge.

According to Agustrijanto, the Mediator of Mandiri Law as well as a Lecturer for Communication at the University of Kalbis, the existence of the TPKS Law is not enough without consistent enforcement. "The reason is that it is good, just enforce it. It takes serious intentions from all parties," he said, Tuesday, December 10.

He emphasized that law enforcement officers, from the police to the judiciary, really obey and carry out this law. In addition, he reminded the importance of the role of the DPR RI in supervising the application of the law so that cases of sexual violence are not resolved simply by apologizing.

"The legal politics must continue to be suppressed. There should be no peaceful path to cases like this," he added.

Santi, a observer of sexual communication, highlighted the positive influence of the TPKS Law, especially in encouraging the formation of the Anti-Sexual Violence Task Force in universities. "Since the obligation to form a Task Force, cases of sexual violence on campus have decreased. Perpetrators are starting to be careful," he explained.

However, Santi also underlined the importance of preventive efforts to ensure similar cases do not repeat themselves. Education about sexual violence, according to her, needs to be intensified continuously, not only for women, but also for men.

"This education must involve parents, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGO). All parties must be involved," he said.

Head of the Anti-Sexual Violence, Bullying and Intolerance Task Force at the University of Kalbis, Ridha Sefina, explained the preventive measures that have been taken on campus. "We include education in every meeting, both with lecturers, students, and staff, such as security and cleaning staff," he said.

He also gave an example of making anti-violent guidelines as a preventive measure. "This guide is stated in the rector's decision to provide a clear foundation for all parties on campus," explained Ridha.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Anti-Sexual Violence, Bullying and Intolerance Task Force at the University of Kalbis, Ridha Sefina, is of the view that prevention must continue. One of them is by means of education.

"We include sessions in each meeting with the lecturer. Then, with students to employees such as security teams to cleaning services and others," he said.

Then, he gave an example of how to prevent sexual violence, namely by making guidelines. One of them is the guide as outlined in the rector's decision.

"The next way is to make a guide. For example, what is stated in the rector's decision," he said.

With the inauguration of the DPR RI for the period 2024-2029, the hope that they can oversee the implementation of the TPKS Law is increasingly prominent. The challenge of ensuring the protection of victims and preventing sexual violence is a shared responsibility, both at the policy level and in implementation in the field.

The Indonesian House of Representatives has a strategic role in overseeing the enforcement of the TPKS Law. The Indonesian House of Representatives must continue to monitor the process of law enforcement to ensure that the TPKS Law is enforced effectively. This includes conducting audits of cases that are being handled by the authorities.

Public education about sexual violence is very important. The Indonesian House of Representatives can increase its education campaign to increase public awareness about the dangers of sexual violence and the protection of victims.