After the case was unravelled in May, the child victims were swiftly secured by the regional child protection team that provided trauma healing and education to the victims until nowBandung, West Java (ANTARA) - West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil urged residents to be sympathetic toward victims of rape at an Islamic boarding school and their families, as they had received the authority's assistance and the perpetrator had been arrested.
The authority has promptly arrested the perpetrator after the case came to light in May 2021, and legal action against the suspect is underway, he affirmed.
"Upon receiving the victims' report, the authority promptly arrested the suspect, and legal actions have been taken against him," Kamil confirmed.
The governor also urged residents to spread positive narratives and recheck received information instead of highlighting only the perpetrator's vile acts and neglecting information about measures to console and assist the victims and families.
Recovery assistance for rape victims and their families will be covered by the regional authority, the governor noted, adding that the school had been promptly closed by the authority despite it falling under the jurisdiction of the Religious Affairs Ministry having the final say regarding the school's operations.
"After the case was unravelled in May, the child victims were swiftly secured by the regional child protection team that provided trauma healing and education to the victims until now," Kamil stated.
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The governor clarified that the case was recently made public, as the underage victims should be protected during investigation into the case.
"Taking into account the psychological aspect of the child victims, the police decided not to publish the news in May," he affirmed.
Kamil deplored that cases of sexual violence remained rampant in a similar environment and expressed optimism that the sexual violence prevention bill would be finalised as a law by the House of Representatives (DPR RI).
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"Sexual harassment cases have occurred in multiple places and is highly concerning. We hope relevant parties would conceive a solution to prevent this kind of case from recurring in future," Emil emphasized.
Meanwhile, West Java Women Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning Agency official Anjar Yusdinar confirmed that her agency's women and child protection unit had assisted the rape victims since May 2021 when the case was first unravelled.
"The regional child protection agency, the regional police forces, and the Witness and Victim Protection Agency are committed to proceeding in terms of the case's investigation by considering child protection as our foremost basis," she affirmed.
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Translator: Ajat Sudrajat, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
