Sexual Crimes Against Children on the Rise in East Jakarta

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Child Protection Commission (KNPA) has recorded rising cases of sexual assault against children with 666 cases from January to November 2013 in the whole Jakarta area.

"From that statistics, East Jakarta dominates with 166 cases," KNPA head Arist Merdeke Sirait told Tempo last Saturday. In other areas, North Jakarta had 149 cases, West Jakarta had 127 cases, Central Jakarta had 118 cases, and South Jakarta had 106 cases.

Arist explained that from 166 cases of violence against children in East Jakarta, 68 percent of them are sexual crimes. "It proves that East Jakarta is in national emergency of sexual crimes against children," Arist uttered.

Sexual crimes among students are also increasing. One of the latest case is the rape of a vocational school female student with the initial 'NFR' by three male students in East Jakarta. The rape was the first to be committed in a school environment. This case is still being investigated by the police.

Responding to the sexual asssault case in school, Jakarta Education Agency, Taufik Yudi Mulyanto, stated that his agency will implement a non-curriculum development program for students which related to adolescent growth.

According to Taufik, sexual harassment is caused more by external factors such as excessive negative information and promiscuity. Therefore, he said, teachers are required to be the "second parents" for their students.

AFRILIA SURYANIS | SYAILENDRA | AMIRULLAH | ALI ANWAR