Fery Firmansyah, Jakarta – The National Commission for Protecting Children has revealed that there are approximately 17 cases of child-rape every month in Jakarta. Half of the sex crimes ended in murders.

"This is really worrying," said Secretary General of the National Commission for Protecting Children Arist Merdeka Sirait yesterday (03/15).

The commission has collected data of child-rape cases from early 2006. Up until the first quarter of 2007, 248 cases involving children either as perpetrators or victims were found. "Ten cases ended up as murders,' Arist said.

According to the National Commission for Protecting Children, rape cases involving children reached 26 percent of the total 930 cases in Jakarta.

Arist pointed out economic hardship, low education level, and violence shows on TV have triggered the high rate of child-rape cases. "The fact is that both victims and perpetrators came from mid-to-low class families," he said.