TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's IPB University has suspended 16 students for one semester over a sexual harassment case at its Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FTT).

FTT Dean Slamet Budijanto said the students were found to have violated campus regulations and committed sexual harassment against a female student.

“A one-semester suspension was imposed on the 16 students involved on April 17, 2026,” he said in an official statement on Monday, April 20.

Slamet explained that the incident stemmed from inappropriate content shared in a private group chat in 2024. The university formally received the report on April 14, 2026.

Following the report, a joint team from the faculty and the Campus Security Management and Protection Office (KMKKPK) summoned the complainant on April 15. The following day, the faculty questioned the alleged perpetrators and gathered evidence.

“Based on the examination process and available evidence, the faculty imposed a one-semester suspension on the 16 students,” he said.

Victim Support Measures

IPB’s Director of Cooperation, Communication, and Marketing, Alfian Helmi, said the university is prioritizing the recovery of the victim. Measures include restoring the victim’s academic and social rights, providing psychological support, and ensuring continued assistance.

The university has also taken steps to protect the victim from pressure, intimidation, and stigma, while strengthening safe reporting spaces on campus.

Alfian added that the case serves as a catalyst to improve institutional safeguards. IPB is committed to strengthening prevention and response mechanisms, enhancing education on ethics and equality, and fostering a campus culture that encourages respect and reporting.

Case Resurfaced After Viral Posts

The case drew wider public attention after screenshots of sexually explicit and derogatory conversations circulated on social media.

Earlier, the Student Executive Board (BEM KM) of IPB University revealed that 16 students were allegedly involved. BEM KM President Abdan Muhammad Abdan Rofi said both the alleged perpetrators and the victim were from the same cohort in the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at FTT.

He noted that the university has been handling the case intensively, with academic sanctions discussed prior to the suspension decision.

According to Abdan, the incident dates back to 2024 and had initially been resolved through internal mediation facilitated by senior students within the department.

However, the case resurfaced after a similar sexual harassment case at the University of Indonesia gained public attention. The victim later re-shared the screenshots and filed an official report to the university.

“Currently, mediation between the parties is being handled by the faculty’s dean, with support from the institution and BEM,” he said.

Dede Leni Mardianti contributed to the writing of this article.

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