The request was submitted by community organization from West Sumatra that focuses cultural preservation Lembaga Kerapatan Adat Alam Minangkabau (LKAAM).
The law contains 152 articles that regulate the prevention, eradication, and handling of sexual violence as well as the protection of and rehabilitation for victims of sexual violence.
House of Representatives passed the sexual violence bill into law in a plenary meeting on Tuesday.
TheIndonesia.id - A state official said the sexual violence bill must also include and regulate proper handling of online sexual violence cases.
As reported by Antara, deputy for politics, law, defense, security and human rights at the Presidential Staff Office Jaleswari Pramodhawardani said the bill should be the answer to public concern regarding the prevention and handling of online sexual exploitation and violence as well as protection of victims.
“Sexual violence in digital space is rife, and it must be regulated by law. The public hopes that online-based sexual violence will be included in the government’s problem inventory list after House creates the official draft,” Pramodhawardani said on Thursday, January 20, as reported by Antara.
The concern is not baseless because according to the National Commission on Violence against Women, or Komnas Perempuan, online-based sexual violence cases significantly increased, from 241 cases in 2020 to 940 cases during 2021.
The spectrum for this type of crime is also very wide and includes online harassment, cyber grooming, hacking, privacy violation, illegal content, blackmailing, and others. It’s also worth noting that the majority of online-based sexual violence cases happened to female adolescents with closest figures, like boyfriend or former boyfriend, as perpetrators.
Pramodhawardani added that the bill must also prioritize the protection of victims besides ensuring the delivery of justice.
“The most important thing in online-based sexual violence is the authentication process. And when a victim files a report, audio and video recording can be submitted as evidence,” she explained.
Previously, members of the House of Representatives (DPR) reached an agreement to approve the sexual violence bill as its initiative during a plenary meeting on Tuesday, after it was previously proposed by the House’s Legislation Committee (Baleg).
House Speaker Puan Maharani said that upon the decision, the House will push for talks with the government to discuss the bill, to ultimately pass it as a law. And President Joko Widodo is expected to issue a letter soon that will kickoff the talk.
