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View all search resultsViolence haunts children as state fails to provide care
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Stock illustration of child abuse. (Courtesy of/Shutterstock)
T
he alarming rise in child abuse in Indonesia, often at the hands of familiar persons such as family members or neighbors, has underscored the state's failure to guarantee the right of children to safe and protective care.
The Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry’s online information system (SIMFONI-PPA) reported persistently high abuse rates as of Friday, with at least 10,203 cases recorded since January, already more than half of the 2024 total of 19,628. Abuse figures have continued to rise steadily over the past five years.
More than half of the cases took place at home, with perpetrators, mostly men, often being those closest to the victims, including relatives or family members, neighbors, parents and partners.
The abuse ranged from physical, psychological and sexual violence to neglect, trafficking and exploitation. Girls aged 13 or above accounted for eight out of every 10 victims, as under the country’s Child Protection Law, a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.
Although the women’s ministry does not delve into the causes behind the rise in child abuse, child rights groups have pointed to the absence of a safe, state-provided childcare system as one of the key factors.
Read also: Viral bullying case exposes failure to curb school violence
Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) commissioner Diyah Puspitarini told The Jakarta Post on Friday that when a child's right to proper care is neglected, they become highly vulnerable to abuse, even without their parents realizing it.
