Jayapura, Jubi – Director of the Indonesian Women’s Legal Aid Institute for Justice (LBH APIK) Jayapura Nur Aida Duwila said reports of sexual violence against children in Papua continued to increase from 2019 to 2021.
“The number of sexual violence against children is very high. More than one case is already too many. Earlier this year, the office received 14 reports of cases,” Duwila said.
Most of the attacks, said Duwila, were carried out by people closest to the victim. “It’s always the closest people. We handled one case where a man molested his stepdaughter. We also handled a case wherein the victim was pregnant until she gave birth. Any kind of sexual abuse is violence against children and caused trauma to children,” she said.
From reports received by LBH APIK Jayapura, the number of cases of sexual abuse and violence against children was 4 in 2019, 9 cases in 2020, and 14 cases in 2021. Among the grossest was a case of harassment and violence against 25 children by a boarding school teacher in Mimika in 2020. Ten children were victims of sexual harassment and 15 children were victims of violence.
“In the past three years, there have been around 50 cases throughout Papua and the victims are aged 6, 8, 12 to 16 years. But it’s only ‘the tip of an iceberg’, there are still many victims who do not report out of fear,” said Duwila.
The government, Duwila said, must attempt harder to reduce sexual violence against children in Papua, as well as supporting the children victims of sexual violence by, among others, providing facilities for psychological recovery of victims.
“The psychological condition of the children victims must be well considered. It is very important to restore their self-confidence and trust. The government must establish a recovery center for victims,” she said.
“Let’s go toward a child-friendly Papua. Jayapura is a child-friendly city already so let’s keep it true,” she added.
Reporter: Theo Kelen
Editor: Syofiardi
