Antara, Jakarta – The case of sexual harassment against students and lecturers at the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia (UI), is a wake-up call, the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) claims.

"The [sexual harassment] case at FHUI raises a red flag that crimes happened where students study the law. Not only ironic, this is a grave failure in building a safe and moral academic culture," said JPPI National Coordinator Ubaid Matraji in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Sexual harassment at a Faculty of Law demonstrates a paradox, he said, defying the institution's purpose as a teaching hub about law and justice.

Nearly 250 cases of violence in educational institutions

JPPI records around 233 cases of violence on educational institution grounds in the first three months of 2026.

Nearly half of the reported cases were of sexual violence, with 46 percent, while physical violence followed with 34 percent. The rest were bullying (19 percent), violent policies (6 percent), and psychological torment (2 percent).

"Nearly half involved sexual violence, signaling a serious failure to protect students from the most fundamental crime against our body and dignity," he said.

Sexual violence on school or campus grounds is no longer isolated cases, Ubaid went on, but has transformed into a systemic pattern.

JPPI urged the government, especially education ministries and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, to declare a state of emergency against violence on campus grounds.

The Indonesian government is also urged to bolster prevention and case-handling mechanisms, including by imposing strict victim-centered policies and conducting a comprehensive audit on the student protection system in all levels of educational institutions.

The organization called for uncompromising punishment against all perpetrators, whether they are students, educators, or parties outside of campus. The Indonesian government is urged to move towards tangible actions to build a safe and inclusive culture across all educational institutions.

"Without serious and systemic action, violence will continue to recur and damage the future of the younger generation. Education must not be a space of fear. It must once again become the safest place to grow, learn, and achieve dignity," said Ubaid Matraji.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2098438/ui-sexual-harassment-case-a-wake-up-call-for-indonesia-says-jpp