Traumatic Event Leaves a Deep Wound

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Participants of the Declaration Against Violence, Exploitation and Persecution of Women and Children sign a statement during the June 6 event at Central Jakarta’s Proclamation Monument. men and children at Tugu Proklamasi, Jakarta, Friday (9/6).

Tuesday (21/11/2017) should have been a wonderful day for RN, 28, and MA, 20. On that day, they were married in the house of RN’s parents in the Kaduagung subdistrict of Tigaraksa district, Tangerang regency, Banten.

A simple ceremony to recite wedding vows was held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. They were wedded by Jamal, a Muslim cleric from the Tangerang Police’s spiritual and mental guidance division. The ceremony was attended by local government officials and Tangerang Police personnel. RN’s father and MA’s elder brother served as witnesses.

However, while brides and grooms typically look happy on their wedding day, RN and MA held their heads low for most of the ceremony. MA cast down her eyes throughout the wedding vows recital. A cloud of sadness hung over the room as the cleric and witnesses declared their approval of the wedlock.

Tangerang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. M Sabilul Alif said police had helped register the wedding at the local religious affairs office (KUA) as a wedding gift. RN and MA are scheduled to take part in a mass wedding ceremony on December 8. “Today, [in the process of the wedding vows recital], we help to bring together the families of the bride and groom,” Sabilul said.

Kaduagung subdistrict head Sulaeman and Sukamulya subdistrict head Budi Muhdini also attended the event. The two had come to represent the local authorities of where MA resides – and where some locals recently assaulted RN and MA.

On Nov. 11, RN and MA were persecuted and publicly shamed by residents of neighborhood unit (RT) 007 and community unit (RW) 003 in the hamlet of Kadu in Sukamulya subdistrict, Cikupa district, Tangerang. Led by the heads of RT 007 and RW 003, the locals accused RN and MA of committing adultery at MA’s apartment. They refused to accept RN and MA’s explanation that they had not done what they were accused of.

Since the attack, police have continuously protected MA, who stayed at the home of RN’s relative in Tigaraksa, near RN’s parents’ home.

After being beaten and forced to confess adultery, they were stripped off their clothes and paraded around the neighborhood. The act was recorded and the footage spread on social media. Apart from physical injuries, RN and MA suffered deep psychological trauma.

The two had planned to get married in December, but not like this. Little wonder, then, that they held their heads low during the wedding vow recital. They were still shaken from the inhumane committed act against them.

Budi Muhdini said he hoped the wedding ceremony would help RN and MA make a fresh start and heal their traumas. He refused to comment on the persecution case against the young couple, as it was being handled by the police. “As for the case, we will let the police do their job,” he said.

Police have arrested seven suspects in the case, namely RT chief T, G, A, I, S, N and GSD, who uploaded footage of the attack.

Healing the trauma

Sabilul said Tangerang Police had facilitated the wedding vows ceremony, adding that that was part of the trauma healing process for the young couple. “Indeed, they are still traumatized psychologically. However, we hope that their psychological burden will ease after this ceremony,” he said.

Since the attack, police have continuously protected MA, who stayed at the home of RN’s relative in Tigaraksa, near RN’s parents’ home.

The women and child protection unit of Tangerang Police’s criminal research division provided a counseling session for the couple on Nov. 13. A trauma-healing session took place four days later. This was deemed necessary, as MA was still shaken from the attack.

A psychiatrist was needed to help the couple overcome the psychological pain they suffered from the attack.

MA gained widespread public sympathy after the attack, including from South Tangerang-based public relations agency Opal Communication founder and CEO Kokok Herdhianto Dirgantoro. Kokok has offered MA a job at his company and guaranteed social and psychological protection for MA.

Kokok said he would help provide MA with a place to stay near the company’s offices if she did not feel safe living in her current neighborhood. Kokok also said MA would be safe from bullying by employees and offered to pay for MA’s trauma-healing sessions, if necessary. Kokok made his promises to Sabilul at the Tangerang Police office on Monday last week.

At the meeting, Sabilul said MA was still recovering with the help of a trauma-healing process by a police psychiatrist and was provided with a safe house to stay at. Currently, police are prioritizing the physical and mental recovery of the two victims. Afterwards, the case will be processed legally. Only then will the job offer be followed up.