An alleged assault victim by a policewoman may now face legal repercussions of her own after she was reported to the police for online defamation using a controversial law.
Last week, the alleged victim, a Pekanbaru, Riau Province resident identified by her initials RAK, posted a video on TikTok showing bruises she said was from being assaulted by police brigadier IDR and the cop's mother, YUL, on Sept. 21. IDR is an officer with the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in Riau.
The TikTok led to the arrest of IDR and YUL on Sept. 25 on assault charges. They reportedly assaulted RAK after discovering that she was dating IDR's younger brother against the family's wishes.
IDR is scheduled to appear before an ethics committee before she faces criminal charges.
Today, the Riau Police announced that IDR's colleague, whose identity was not disclosed, filed an online defamation lawsuit against RAK using the Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE) on the assault suspect's behalf.
UU ITE has long been criticized as a tool of oppression wielded by those with authority or power. UU ITE's ambiguous stipulations for defamatory content can derail the quest for justice for ordinary citizens like RAK.
In 2021, a woman in Aceh was imprisoned after she recorded an incriminating video of her village head. Amid trying circumstances, the woman was also forced to bring her six-month-old baby to prison, prompting public outrage over the numerous counts of injustice in her case.