Sexual Harassment at Gunadarma University, Women Commission: Cannot Be Solved Amicably

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The commissioner of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), Alimatul Qibtiyah, stated that solving a sexual harassment case cannot be done in an amicable approach, such as what happened at the Gunadarma University case.

Settling courteously in cases of sexual harassment, she said, requires very strict conditions.

"The strict condition is related to how sincere the perpetrator is, that it genuinely considers the approach as a mistake and had only done it once, then the preparator apologizes and promises not to do it again. It's like a case that reaches full consciousness, and the preparator wants to be rehabilitated," she said when contacted by Tempo, Wednesday, December 14.

Furthermore, regarding the case, she said the victim did not have to accept an apology from the perpetrator. "Because we can't force the traumatic experience to just disappear, concerning this problem," she said.

Therefore, Alimatul Qibtiyah said, the mechanism for an amicable settlement should not be pursued as happened in the case of sexual harassment at Gunadarma University, as it needs further review. The perpetrators and the victims highly likely have a different point of view regarding this; when the perpetrators want to take an amicable settlement, the victims might still be traumatized by the event and could not accept the approach.

Moreover, Alimatul went on to say that the amicable settlement would not deter the perpetrators, and sometimes the victims would still be traumatized.

Meanwhile, the Head of Public Relations of Jakarta Metro Police, Senior Commissioner Endra Zulpan, said that the sexual harassment case at Gunadarma University, Depok, had been resolved amicably. This issue was resolved by the seniors of the victims and perpetrators on campus.

"It has been resolved amicably by the seniors," he said on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at Metro Jaya Police Station. Zulpan said the victim was reluctant to report to the police because of the embarrassment. 

Previously, several sexual harassments allegedly occurred at Gunadarma University, Depok, West Java, had gone viral on social media. An Instagram account @anakgundardotco uploaded reports of alleged sexual harassment on the campus, ranging from catcalling, and verbal to non-verbal harassment.

Aliyyu Medyati/ magang_merdeka | Translator: Imaji Lasahido/ Intern

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