Waiting for Protection, Not Stigma

The joy of this junior high school student disappeared when she became a victim of sexual violence by one of the people closest to her.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Hand portrait of A (14), junior high school student suspected of being a victim of sexual violence, when met in Cirebon Regency, West Java. The victim experienced sexual violence allegedly by his own neighbor.

Bowing her head, A (14), identified by her initial, used her shoulder length hair to cover her puffy eyes. The joy of this junior high school student vanished when she became a victim of sexual violence at the hands of someone close to her.

It was difficult for the resident of Ciwaringin subdistrict, Cirebon regency, West Java, to talk. Most of the time, she held her stomach with her hands. "Stomach ache. The most painful was between 11 and 12 o’clock at night. I was unable to sleep, " A said on Wednesday (11/11/2020).

Initially her mother, D (37), thought that A was only complaining about menstruation. However, lately, she became suspicious. Lately, the child often had a difficulty to walk. D even found blue bruises on her daughter’s thighs. A, who was previously charming and had many friends, looked sad and felt lonely.

My daughter was threatened to be killed, and the video would be leaked if she did not serve the person\'s lust.

After being questioned, A finally confessed that she had become a victim of a sexual violence in August, this year. The perpetrator was believed to be her 18- year-old neighbor. After being forced to have intercourse, A was always asked by the perpetrator to take a number of pills.

"My daughter was threatened to be killed, and the video would be leaked if she did not serve the person\'s lust," said D. D\'s heart was broken when one of these threats came true.

Also read: Against Child Predators

The video, which lasted 3 minutes and 26 seconds, was distributed to teachers and friends of the victim via Facebook (FB) messages. The perpetrator used A\'s account to make an impression that the victim who sent the video. The perpetrator also wrote on the victim\'s FB wall, “I was with different men, can get HIV / AIDS ”.

Instead of getting support, A received negative responses from the public. One of them was from her school. A teacher once came and asked her not to go to school any more.

"When he found out that this case was under the police investigation, the teacher said, she might continue her study but should move to other school once the academic year finished, “ D said.

D and A felt sad and discouraged. When the case was reported to the police, D and her daughter again received a lot of scorns.

Also read: Boost Protection for Women

Ironically, after more than 1.5 months, the police have not received the victim’s visum et repertum. The perpetrator was also suspected of having fled to Jakarta.

KM (16), a resident of Ciledug district, Cirebon, had a similar experience. She stayed most of the time at home during the pandemic with her father, M (35), who allegedly had sex with her until she became pregnant.

M was a food vendor at school. He did not work after schools were closed due to the pandemic. The victim\'s mother, who worked at a garment factory, left the house early in the morning until evening. Meanwhile, her grandmother, who lived at the same house, worked as a trader at the nearby market.

When there were no other people at home sometime in August, this year, M committed immorality against his own flesh and blood. He also did the same thing on her in July , 2019. "The victim could not escape and was afraid to report because her father threatened to kill her," said the Cirebon police chief Commissioner M Syahduddi.

As a result of the incident, the victim, who is still in high school, is now two months pregnant. Trauma haunts her.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

A suspect in a case of sexual violence against children is displayed at the Cirebon Police Headquarters, West Java, Tuesday (14/9/2020). As of mid-September 2020, there were 37 cases of sexual violence against children in Cirebon.

Pandemic

A and KM are small examples of many cases of sexual violence experienced by children in Cirebon. According to the Cirebon police’s record, in the last 10 months there were 40 cases of sexual violence against children. Last year there were 53 similar cases. Most of the perpetrators were people close to the victim.

On a national scale, the Women\'s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister’s data show a high rate of child abuse during the pandemic. There were more than 2,800 cases of child violence throughout Indonesia as of June 2020, dominated by sexual violence with 1,660 cases.

In the midst of this nightmare, the Bill on the Elimination of Sexual Violence, which was expected to protect the children, was even taken out from the list of the 2020 Priority National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). The bill is expected to be included in the 2021 Prolegnas, instead.

Also read: Memory about the Body

The chairperson of the National Commission for Child Protection of Cirebon Raya, Siti Nuryani, said that the Covid-19 pandemic also caused an increase in the number of sexual violence cases against children. "Currently, more children are at home. In fact, perpetrators of sexual violence are often close to their victims,“ she said.

However, Nuryani did not want to just keep silent. When state regulations were still being sought, she worked with her own initiative. On Wednesday afternoon (18/11), she came to Dukuhpuntang district, Cirebon regency.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Cirebon Police Chief Commissioner M Syahduddi (second from right) shows evidence of cases of sexual violence against children in Cirebon, Monday (16/11/2020), at the Cirebon Police Headquarters.

The arrival of Nuryani was like a windfall for I (15) and D (16). Both of them hugged Nuryani tightly. Tears suddenly rolled down the cheeks of the two children.

"[I am] afraid, Mom. The perpetrator has not been caught,”said I to Nuryani. "That\'s police business. Your business is you should continue your life, achieve your goals, "replied Nuryani.

Both women are victims of sexual violence. “I” was raped by the shop owner where she worked, a few months ago. In the middle of school holidays, she worked at the shop to get extra money to help her father, who works as a driver.

[I am] afraid, Mom. The perpetrator has not been caught

Meanwhile, D was the victim of two men she met through social media at the end of October. Initially, she was invited to take a motorcycle ride. The victim\'s family then reported this case to the police.

The efforts of Nuryani and her colleagues at the National Commission for Child Protection of Cirebon Raya to assist victims of sexual violence are certainly not easy.

In addition to therapy, Nurhayani also works with schools in Dukuhpuntang to facilitate free education for victims.

Victims of sexual violence certainly need support, not only to help them recover from trauma. There also needs to be a law that effectively prevents more children from becoming victim