TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In recent weeks, the Indonesian public were baffled by the cases of sexual abuse in the academic world that gradually came to light. The cases span from the suspected rape experienced by a Gadjah Mada University student and the criminalization of the former honorary employee of the SMAN 7 Mataram high school, Baiq Nuril.

The Legal Aid Foundation of Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK) stated that the government has failed to produce a regulation that specially handles sexual abuse cases in academic environments.

The association’s coordinator of legal reform Veni Siregar maintained that the Criminal Law (KUHP) that had been used all along could only accommodate cases of obscene behavior.

“Based on the data that we have, there are no regulations provided by the Education and Culture Ministry that protect victims of sexual abuse in schools or campuses,” said Veni in a press conference on 'sexual abuse in academic environments' on Sunday, November 25.

Veni’s concerns were echoed by Danu Pratama Aulia, University of Indonesia’s Student Executive Agency Socio-Politics Coordinator.

Danu’s study failed to find any specific mechanisms provided and conducted by Indonesian campuses that regulate sexual abuse cases or facilitate victims to such cases, namely a crisis center.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA