Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Bintang Puspayoga, responded to the sexual violence case involving 12 students in Bandung, West Java, by urging regional governments to comprehensively handle cases of violence against women and children.

The minister also urged all elements of society to understand the importance of prevention.

“Supervision and evaluation are essential. We have to solve cases, such as this upstream, so prevention is an important aspect," Puspayoga noted in her statement here Tuesday.

Puspayoga urged regional governments to not ignore cases of violence against women and children. To this end, she lauded regional governments for having extended assistance in those cases.

"When there are cases of violence such as this, regional leaders must not turn a blind eye. Do not just rely on the handling from the central government," she stressed.

Meanwhile, Head of the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Office of West Java, Agung Kim Fajar Wiyati, agreed that the process of granting permission for educational institutions, such as Islamic boarding schools, must be tightened.

“Thereafter, evaluation and monitoring must be conducted regarding the implementation of those boarding schools,” she noted.

In addition, she encouraged victims of sexual violence to be brave and report the violence they had experienced.

She informed that the government, through the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, had provided a call center service to report cases of violence that can be accessed through hotline 129 and WhatsApp on 08111-129-129.

Earlier, the Bandung District Court has conducted a trial for a rape case of 12 female students at a boarding school by Herry Wirawan (36), teacher who is also owner of the school.


Translator: Bagus Ahmad, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021