Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The alleged sexual assault of a 6-year-old boy at Jakarta International School (JIS) has sparked debate over whether the country is protecting children enough, prompting legislators to revise the 2002 Law on child protection to impose harsher punishments on child predators.
Under the existing law, the heaviest punishment for a person convicted of crimes against minors is 20 years' imprisonment or paying Rp 500 million (US$43,233) in fines, which is considered by many as too lenient. Lawmakers and child rights activists believe that the light sentencing has made Indonesia a "safe haven" for pedophiles and other child abusers.
Article 81 of the law, for example, imposes between three and 15 years' imprisonment or between Rp 60 million and Rp 300 million in fines on those who sexually assault children. Meanwhile, according to Article 88, those who sexually exploit children for economic gain will face a maximum 10 years' imprisonment or a maximum fine of Rp 200 million.
"It [the current law] has obviously failed to provide a deterrent effect as there has been a series of sexual assaults against children," leader of the House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs, Ida Fauziah, told the press after a meeting with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) on Friday.
"Thus, it is critical that we revise the current law and hand down harsher sentences. Those who commit crimes against children should be sentenced to life in prison, for example," she said.
Ida, a politician from the National Awakening Party (PKB), added that the revision would also give the KPAI the authority to investigate crimes against minors nationwide. According to Ida, discussions on such revisions would start as soon as the House resumes a new session in mid-May after more than two months of recess.
In addition to endorsing the revision of the Child Protection Law, the KPAI also requested additional financial support, because according to KPAI secretary Erlinda, "the current budget is not enough to support KPAI's work in 33 provinces."
It was recently revealed that another JIS student might have fallen victim to sexual assault.
The JIS case has sparked an online petition on activism site change.org calling for heavier punishments for child rapists. The petition has gained 71,307 signatures as of Friday evening.
The National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA) called on the government to declare 2013 as a "year of emergency" given the increased incidences of child abuse. Last year, an 11-year-old girl was raped by her father, who was later sentenced to 15 years in prison. The girl had contracted gonorrhea, which her father had passed on to her.
Komnas PA received 2,046 reports of violence against children in 2010, 42 percent of which were sex-related. The figure had risen to 2,637 cases in 2012, 62 percent of which involved sexual abuse.
Recently, Aceh-based female activists also urged the government and police to investigate child abuse in the province, The activists blamed the increasing number of child abuse cases, particularly in Aceh, on the indecisiveness of the government and law enforcers.
The activists, affiliated with the 231 Monitoring Network, recorded between 27 and 70 child abuse cases in Aceh in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Such cases included the rape of a 9-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl by six people in Bener Meriah in Central Aceh and the rape of a daughter by her step father in Banda Aceh.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/04/26/harsher-penalties-child-abuse.html