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Double whammy for viral victims of sexual assault
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Stock illustration of pornography materials in mobile phone. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he recent case of the sexual assault of a 17-year-old female student by her 57-year-old teacher in Gorontalo, Sulawesi, has shed light on how easily victims can fall into a double trap in today’s digital era, making it more difficult for them to recover from trauma and pain.
Authorities have been scrambling to take down the videos clearly showing the Islamic high school student’s face, but the damage has been severely done to the victim’s mental health, prompting her to be absent from school since the case went viral last month.
A commissioner at the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Aris Adi Leksono, said the victim needed time to heal psychologically after a string of the shocking incidents, and his institution would ensure the victim continues to receive her right to education.
"The KPAI is on hand to supervise the case so the victim will get the justice she deserves,” Aris told The Jakarta Post last week. “The KPAI is also coordinating with her family to provide legal guidance and with the school to ensure that she can continue her education, even if it’s done remotely.”
He went on to say that the fact that the student is both a victim of sexual assault and cyber bullying would make the recovery process more complicated.
“Removing a digital footprint is nearly impossible. [The video] will always be there, and it will invoke its own trauma to the victim that might last long after the case is settled in court,” Aris said.
Read also: Teachers’ mental health in focus after fatal school assaults
