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Organizations prompt UGM to pursue legal action in sexual assault case
UGM's way of handling the case is "too slow".
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Over 8,000 new students of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta form UGM's emblem at the closing ceremony of the week-long Success Learners Training for New Students (PPSMB) 2017 held at the university's Ghra Sabha Pramana Square on Aug. 12, 2017. UGM received 8,322 new students for this academic year. (Courtesy of Gadjah Mada University/file)
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everal organizations have encouraged Gadjah Mada University (UGM) to help one of its students to take legal action following an alleged sexual assault against her by another student.
Ika Ayu from Yogyakarta Women's Network (JPY) told The Jakarta Post that they regretted UGM's slow handling of the case.
The case, which occurred on June 30 last year during a university community service assignment (KKN) in Maluku, became public after the university's student press, Balairung, published an investigative report on the sexual assault case on Monday. Referring to the the victim by the pseudonym Agni, Balairung reported that Agni had reported the assault soon after it happened. However, the campus officials instead blamed her for the incident.
"We encourage UGM to bring this case to law enforcement to create a deterrent effect," said Ika on Wednesday.
Ika said they found out about the case after it went "viral", while it happened in June last year. "It shows UGM doesn't know what to do in such cases," she said.
She said UGM had also failed to show seriousness in handling past cases. In June 2016, The Jakarta Post made an investigative report about alleged sexual abuse by a lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences, identified as EH, against several female students. The lecturer was dismissed from his teaching job but is still officially a lecturer there.
Several organizations that signed a joint statement to demand that UGM deliver justice to the victim said the campus should give the perpetrator a tough punishment such as expulsion.
UGM's public relations officer, Iva Ariani, said Tuesday that UGM was working to deliver justice to the victim. "He has been dismissed from his KKN program and suspended for a semester," said Iva.
UGM said they were looking into necessary steps to pursue a legal avenue for this case. (evi)
