…sexual violence can happen to anyone, anytime, and anywhere. Let us protect our children.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy for special protection of children at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Nahar on Tuesday asked parents, families, and the community to give their attention to, educate, and protect children from sexual violence.

"Let us protect our children from all forms of sexual violence, not only (protecting them from becoming) victims but also from becoming perpetrators," he said here on Tuesday.

Nahar highlighted that sexual violence is against religious and human values.

According to him, the recent case of sexual violence against a child in Mojokerto, East Java, must serve as a valuable lesson to prevent similar cases from occurring again.

Earlier, a kindergarten girl student became a victim of sexual violence perpetrated by three children aged 8 years in Mojokerto, East Java.

"This case becomes a reminder for us all that sexual violence can happen to anyone, anytime, and anywhere. Let us protect our children," he said.

He invited people who have experienced, heard, seen, or known cases of violence to gather the courage to report the cases to institutions that have been mandated to look into them by Law Number 12 of 2022 concerning Sexual Violence Crime.

Those institutions include the regional technical implementation units for the protection of women and children (UPTD PPA), community-based service providers, and the National Police (Polri).

"The community can also report (cases) through the Women and Children's Friend (SAPA) hotline 129 or through WhatsApp on 08111-129-129," he added.

Earlier, chairperson of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) Ai Maryati Solihah said that cases of sexual crime against children dominated the reports that her commission received in 2022.

"The highest reports are in the special protection for children (PKA) cluster, namely 2,133 cases. The highest cases are children becoming victims of sexual crime, with 834 cases," she informed.

According to her, the data indicates that Indonesian children are vulnerable to sexual crimes.

Solihah said that sexual violence can occur in the domestic sphere, at religious-based educational institutions, and in public.

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Translator: Anita Permata, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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