Some 45 cases of sex crimes have been reported to the forensics clinic at Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar this year, a number that the head of forensics clinic believes is only a fraction of the actual number of sex crimes.
Ida Bagus Putu Alit, coordinator of the forensics clinic at Sanglah Hospital, said that as of Oct. 31, 2008, 45 patients reported that they were victims of sexual violence or sexual abuse this year.
He said they were just "the tip of the iceberg.
"I don't know exactly how many more are out there, but I'm sure this is just a small example," he said.
Out of the 45 cases, 21 reported rape, seven sexual harassment and the remaining 17 reported adultery. Indonesian law categorizes adultery as a reportable sex crime.
The highest number of sex crimes were reported in June, with 11 cases, and then May and September, with seven cases each. There were only three cases reported in October.
The report further revealed that out of the victims, eight were children between 5 and 14 years of ages.
"This is also aggravating, because sexual violence on children tends to be reported late because the victims aren't even aware that they have been violated," Putu Alit said.
"Parents must be aware when children complain of pain which is accompanied by the secretion of fluids such as blood during urination. It's possible they have been a victim of sexual violence," he said.
According to the report, sex crimes occur in various places from boarding houses, victim's homes, hotels, villas, roadsides and outside unfinished buildings.
Most of the cases occur in boarding houses, with 18 of the cases being reported. Hotels are the second most frequent sites of sexual violence cases, with six cases.
These crimes usually occur between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. East Indonesian Time.
The report revealed that perpetrators tend to have close relations with victims, such as their boyfriends or girlfriends, their relatives and even their parents. Foreigners comprised only a few of the reported perpetrators.
Putu Alit said victims of sex crimes tended to exhibit signs of emotional distress accompanied by recurring nightmares and sleep talking.
He said they would also be easily angered and would overreact when encountering someone that looks like the criminal, thus isolating themselves from social contact.
Putu Alit said the number of reported sex crimes increases each year.
"I think people are getting more aware of the existing laws and are more willing to report sex crimes," he said.
