This should be given special attention to handle the hurdles in providing service to victims.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The delay in the resolution of the case of NWR, a victim of sexual violence from East Java, has highlighted the limitation of services offered to victims of violence and the urgent need to reform them.

Commissioner of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), Andy Yentriyani, made the remarks during a webinar entitled 'Violence toward Women during COVID-19 Pandemic in East Indonesia' here on Thursday.

She emphasized how current services are no longer offering quick responses to meet the needs of victims to support their recovery, she said.

According to Yentriyani, the capability of institutions providing services to women victims of violence are not yet optimal.

The capability to handle cases of violence against women is hampered by several factors, she said.

These factors are the transition of services to the online mode, geographic hurdles, and a complication in resource capacity due to an increase in cases of violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, she informed.

As a result, many cases of violence were reported, but they were not handled well, she noted.

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Despite the fact that Komnas Perempuan's Referral Complaint Unit (UPR) has added volunteers, the effort to bolster performance by improving human resources has not reduced the number of cases, she said.

"This should be given special attention to handle the hurdles in providing services to victims," Yentriyani remarked.

This complex problem requires a response from various parties that support the effort for fulfilling victims' rights, especially through ratifying the sexual violence prevention bill that has become crucial for helping sexual violence victims, she said.

NWR was a sexual violence victim from Mojokerto, East Java, who submitted her case to Komnas Perempuan in the middle of August.

However, Mojokerto's Women and Child Integrated Protection Service Center (P2TP2A) was not able to handle her case due to a limited number of psychologists available and a huge pile of pending cases, Yentriyani noted.

NWR decided to end her life on December 2, 2021, she said.

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Translator: Anita Permata Dewi, Fadhli R
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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