A Fifth of Violence Against Women in Private Domain: Women's Commission

TheIndonesia.id - A recent report showed that violence in relationships is the third most-reported violence in private space, yet reported cases often hit a dead end.

The National Commission on Violence against Women, or Komnas Perempuan, revealed data recorded between 2015 and 2020 that showed almost 20 percent of violence against women happened in the domestic and private domains.

“From 2015 to 2020, there were 11,975 cases reported to different service providers in 34 provinces. And around 20 percent of total cases of violence against women took place in private space,” Komas Perempuan commissioner Siti Aminah Tardi said in Jakarta on Monday, December 6.

She added that on average, 150 cases were reported to Komnas Perempuan every year. However, she noted that violence and abuse in intimate relationships were often deadlocked during the legal process.

“The background of the relationship often made sexual abuse experienced by victims considered as being based on mutual consent. In the case of forced abortion, victims were criminalized while the men were freed from any legal proceedings,” Tardi added.

She also spoke about a recent case of sexual violence in which the victim, NWR, died by suicide. This happened after she was allegedly raped by boyfriend RB and was later subject to forced abortion. She suffered from different mental health problems, including depression.

“She was a victim of multiple and repeated abuses in the span of almost two years since 2019,” Tardi said.

Besides impacting NRW’s physical health, it also affected her mentally as she often felt helpless and neglected. She also had a self-harm tendency and was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and other psychosomatic symptoms.

She allegedly died from potassium poisoning, and her body was found next to her father’s grave in Mojokerto, East Java on December 2.

RB, who is a former police officer, was arrested and later disrespectfully dismissed from his unit. Police confirmed he will be prosecuted based on the crimes committed.