Tungadewa Mattangkilang – Amid a concerning trend of sexual violence across the archipelago, police in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Thursday confirmed the arrest of two men for the rape of a 14-year-old girl.
The perpetrators, the victim's 40-year-old stepfather and her boyfriend, are currently being held at Samarinda police office were they are undergoing investigation.
"We are also questioning the victim," Detective unit chief at Samarinda police, Comr. Feby DP. Hutagalung told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.
The victim's relative, Lasmiani, said the 14-year-old girl was reported missing by her mother to the local police office on Monday after she did not return home, having left the house last Saturday. The police found her six days later.
"When asked by her mother why she left the house, the girl confessed she had been raped repeatedly by her stepfather when the house was empty and could not stand it any longer," Lasmiani said.
The girl then went to her boyfriend's house identified as 24-years-old A.L. However instead of receiving protection, the victim was raped again. "Her mother is greatly shocked, she even attempted suicide twice," Lasmiani said.
Feby said both S.U. and A.L. could be charged with a violation of the 2002 law on child protection which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Year of national emergency
The National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), a non-governmental organization advocating children's issues, has declared 2013 as a year of national emergency over child sexual abuse.
Komnas PA's chairman, Arist Merdeka Sirait said there has been a worrying escalation in the number of child sex abuse cases.
In 2010, Komnas PA received 2,046 reports of violence against children, 42 percent of which were sexual abuse. In 2012, the figure had risen to 2,637 cases, 62 percent of them sexual abuse.
In August a 14-year-old junior high-school student was gang raped by four men in an empty parking lot in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. According to the victim's statement, she already knew one of the assailants and was introduced to the other three that afternoon.
The perpetrators asked the victim to join them for a ride. She was then forced to leave the vehicle in the empty parking lot where she was attacked. Two suspects, whom police have identified as 18-year-old I.R. and 19-year-old A.S., were arrested shortly after the victim's parents reported the incident.
Earlier in January, an 11-year-old girl fell into coma for six days and later died of infection. Doctors confirmed she had been sexually abused and had contracted sexually transmitted diseases from her rapist. It was later learned that the girl was raped several times by her own father.
Maria Advianti, secretary of the Indonesian Commission on Child Protection (KPAI), said one of the biggest worries is that most rape or sexual abuse cases are committed by family members.
Maria said rape committed by family members usually went unreported because the family felt they would experience shame if it was publicly exposed.
Arist said the growing prevalence of child sexual abuse cases indicates a failure in the Indonesian legal system. Under the 2002 Law on Child Protection, anyone who has intercourse with a minor can face up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 60 million ($6,200).
The Komnas chairman said the law should be revised immediately; the minimum punishment for child sex abuse should be at least 15 years while the maximum sanction should be a life sentence and there should be additional punishments if the perpetrators were the parents, teachers, or police officers of the children.
Arist said the growing use of the Internet and social media in Indonesia has also played a role in the escalating number of cases of sexual abuse against children.
Many children spend excessive amounts of time in front of computers or gadgets because their family is dysfunctional and does not provide them with security or a sense of protection, Arist explained.