Anita Rachman& Farouk Arnaz – Victims of domestic violence do not just come from less educated families, a prominent legal aid agency said on Thursday, pointing out that wives of government employees like military officers, police and prosecutors also increasingly suffer abuse.

The Women's Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Apik) said that it had received complaints from the wives of government employees of physical and psychological abuse, abandonment, marrying other women and insufficient financial support.

"The fact that [the men] abused their wives is quite surprising, because as law enforcement officers we would presume that they understand and do not violate the law," said Estu Rakhmi Fanani, the director of LBH Apik.

So far this year, the foundation has received 49 complaints from wives of government employees, most of them civil servants and police officers.

In the whole of last year, there were 57 complaints from women in that category, making up about 17.3 percent of all domestic violence cases reported.

LBH Apik believes that the number of reported abuse cases is only a fraction of the true total. "There are many wives besides us that are also suffering," said Priska, who has been married to a police officer for six years. "He has been treating me badly for all six years."

Priska said that her husband often beat and humiliated her and ignored her needs. She tried complaining at her husband's workplace but always got a negative response. She said that the police repeatedly told her they were trying to fix the situation. "Some even blame us, the wives, saying that we are really not being good wives to our husbands."

Another victim, Sri Susilowati, married to a prosecutor for 14 years, said that he forbade her from becoming pregnant or getting a job. In February, she found out that her husband was also married to two other women. "I was psychologically abused," she said. "I used to do what he wanted me to do."

LBH Apik has committed to solving these problems through legal action, but Estu said that might not be easy since some law enforcement institutions may attempt to cover up their employees' problems.

She said that of the 57 cases reported last year by state employee's wives, only five were brought to the police, with some being rescinded by wives who chose to reconcile with their spouses.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira denied that police were not investigating domestic violence complaints against officers.

"We never tolerate breaches of the law by our officers," he said, adding that victims could seek assistance from the National Police if their local offices would not help them.