Tantri Yuliandini, Jakarta – In a face-saving society, most women would rather die than admit that their husbands beat them – and many women have.

However, thanks to the courageousness of TV drama stars Five Vy and Novia Ardhana, as well as popular presenter Dewi Hughes – all of whom made headlines last year in connection with domestic violence – more and more people are becoming aware that violence within the home, like all crimes, is punishable by law.

"These celebrity cases, widely reported by the media, have helped open people's eyes," the head of the Jakarta chapter of non-governmental organization Legal Aid Society for Women (LBH-APIK), Ratna Batara Munti, said on Thursday.

She said that a year after the enactment of Law No. 23/2000 on the eradication of domestic violence, there were increased reports of abuse, particularly domestic violence, at her office. The increase, however, did not mean that there was increased violent activity, rather that more people were willing to report abuse, she said.

The NGO said that 1,046 cases in Jakarta were reported throughout 2005 compared with only 817 cases the previous year, with domestic violence making up the biggest share at 314 cases.

"The increased number of domestic violence cases coming in through the LBH-APIK shows that women are becoming more aware that domestic violence is a crime and no longer something shameful to be hidden away," Ratna said.

Further proof of this is the fact that more law enforcers are willing to take seriously and make reports about cases of domestic abuse, no longer considering them private matters between husband and wife.

"Law enforcers no longer refuse to write up a complaint report like they used to, nor do they try to dismiss the case unless it was the victim who decided to drop the charges," Ratna said.

Despite this headway, however, a number of problems must be overcome before domestic violence against women can be totally eradicated.

Many police officers still prefer to lay charges under the Criminal Code on abuse rather than the law on domestic violence, which allows, among other things, the victim's statement to confirm an act of crime, allows medical records to prove an act of crime, and names sexual violence in the home – as opposed to sexual violence in the commercial sphere, such as the rape of sex workers or the trafficking of women – as a crime.

This, together with fears of stigma, contributes to the fact that of the 314 cases of domestic violence last year, only 19 cases were reported to the police, and only eight were tried using the Domestic Violence Law.

"There are concerns over who will take care of the family should the father be jailed, that the children will be teased because they have a father who is a criminal, as well as fears of retaliation when he gets out of jail," Ratna said.

On the side of the victims themselves, many prefer to file for divorce as a solution to stop the violence rather than reporting the actor to the police.

"This goes to show the criminal court has yet to make victims feel secure about its proceedings, they prefer to take their case to the civil court instead," Ratna said.