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View all search resultsChildren’s Day spotlights protection flaws
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Children play on June 26 at the Pasar Rumput low-cost apartment complex (rusun) in Jakarta. (Antara/Rakha Raditya Yahya)
N
ational Children’s Day has renewed calls for stronger child protection, as rights advocates warn that existing systems have failed to keep pace with increasingly challenging forms of violence against children.
The July 23 commemoration came after months marked by repeated child abuse cases, with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) warning of a troubling rise in violence against children at schools, while perpetrators in other settings have become more diverse and often known to victims.
Earlier this month, the public was shaken by the case of a 15-year-old girl in Sampang, East Java, who allegedly was raped by more than two dozens of men and some minors between February and June. Several suspects have been arrested, but the police are still hunting for others.
It highlights one of the challenges in tackling violence against children, according to KPAI member Sylvana Apituley, as perpetrators are often shielded by their families.
“Family members should know if their relatives are involved, but are reluctant to turn them over to the police,” Sylvana said on Wednesday, attributing the reluctance to shame.
KPAI chair Aris Adi Leksono said violence against children recurred because those closest to victims failed to recognize their role as protectors, while the country’s child protection system struggled to keep pace with evolving risks, including violence facilitated by technology.
“We continue to respond to these increasingly complex challenges with the same approaches,” he said on Wednesday, arguing that existing protection mechanisms failed to intervene early.
