ICJR Condemns Police for Revealing Identity of Rape Victims' Mother in East Luwu

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Institute of Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) criticized the police for revealing the identity of a woman who reported that her children had been raped. The police revealed the woman's name when clarifying news about the rape of three minors in East Luwu.

ICJR executive director Erasmus Napitupulu said that clarification was allowed, but not by writing down the name of the victim's mother.

"Clarification is okay, after all it's a legal process—there must be an explanation. But doing it this way—revealing the identity of the reporter or the victim's mother—deserves strict sanctions," Erasmus posted to his Twitter account @erasmus70, as Tempo quoted with his permission on Thursday, October 7.

Erasmus said that in cases of rape or sexual abuse, especially when the victims are minors, the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Act prohibits revealing the identity of the victims, including the victim's mother.

The Criminal Code also states that the process as well as the victim's name must not be disclosed. "But they revealed it. It's wrong," Erasmus said.

Erasmus said this would have a negative impact on victims and the person filing the report. It would also make other victims of similar cases scared to file a police report.

A mother in East Luwu reported that her three children, all of whom were under the age of 10, were raped. Their biological father is the alleged perpetrator. Instead of receiving police help, what the mother got was injustice. The full report of this case is available at the Project Multatuli portal.

Read: PSI Urges Severe Punishment against Rape Suspect and Son of DPRD Member

ANTARA