Since last year, Instagram user @aliskamugemash has been compiling reports of sexual abuse by an alleged predator identified as LWD, who is said to have lured hundreds of victims through apps like Tinder, Bumble and OkCupid.

Victims agreed to share their stories of sexual abuse and manipulation through the Instagram account, raising the public's awareness and attracting the attention of anti-sexual violence activists across the country.

The stories painted a picture of a man operating across cities in Java who dabbled in various forms of abuse, from coercion and gaslighting to unsolicited recording of sexual acts and driving his victims to financial ruin.

According to the reports, LWD has also allegedly groomed underage victims and is said to have fathered at least four children from four different women. Others have been forced to induce an abortion using harsh chemicals.

“The confessions are published here only with the victims’ consent,” the account’s anonymous administrator told The Jakarta Post via Instagram’s direct messaging platform.

“This account is a safe space for the victims to talk about the sexual abuse/violence they suffered during their time with LWD. This account will also connect the victims with professional help if they want to be assisted in handling their trauma.”

The cause is attracting the attention of sympathizers and activists alike, some of whom go on to become volunteers who reach out to other girls to provide assistance.

Read also: Activists pin hopes on passing of sexual violence bill

Afina Nurul Faizah, one of the volunteers, said the very first effort to spread awareness about LWD’s alleged sexual escapades began in Yogyakarta in 2013 after one of the victims tweeted about him.

The movement itself, however, only gained traction after Afina replied to the aforementioned Twitter post in 2017.

“In less than a week [after I tweeted], several girls came up to me or sent me messages. As of now, at least 40 girls have contacted me through Twitter, IG and email,” she told the Post.

Since then, solidarity among the victims started to grow and bigger efforts were made to follow LWD’s movements, including in the creation of anonymous social media accounts to spread awareness through confessions.

The Instagram account @aliskamugemash made its debut post in March 2020.

The handle translates to “your eyebrows are cute” and refers to one of the pick-up lines that LWD often employs to lure in his victims. A number of confessions recounted how the alleged sexual predator would shower his victims with compliments on their physical appearance as a way to win their sympathy.

Afina said she felt the need to help LWD’s victims because she herself almost fell victim to him too.

“In 2014 I matched with him on Tinder. We chatted through LINE [messenger] and talked on the phone. He said my face looked like it was from a particular ethnic group which is stereotyped as often being horny,” she said.

“He also said he liked to hang out at my campus and helped students write their thesis. However, every time we spoke he always ended up talking about sex, until at one point he threatened to rape me.”

Read also: More victims report sexual abuse on campus, but few find justice

Poppy Dihardjo, an activist from the anti-sexual violence alliance No Recruit List (NRL), said she had received reports about LWD from several different women last year.

“The first report came in early 2020, then several other reports came in after six months, so we decided to investigate it further,” she told the Post recently.

“We found out there was more than one instance in which victims were lured in using similar tactics.”

In largely conservative Indonesia, online movements championing women’s empowerment have blossomed in the last few years, galvanized by causes such as #MeToo that have gripped global audiences. However, the responses online have not always been sympathetic.

Poppy bemoaned the fact that many social media users resorted to victim-blaming once LWD’s case went viral.

“Many people do not know how to respond to sexual violence with empathy. Many times the victim of adult grooming is not aware that they are being manipulated because the romantic relations seem real,” she said.

Poppy encouraged any victims of sexual violence by LWD or any other perpetrators to contact NRL for assistance via their hotline number +6285864442019, or by sending an email to norecruitlist@gmail.com.

Since March last year, the alliance has kept a list of names of alleged perpetrators of gender-based violence who are reported by victims. It has also partnered up with the human resources departments of various companies to prevent them from recruiting potentially problematic people who are on the list.

“NRL’s mission is not to get the alleged perpetrators laid off, blacklisted or unemployed. However, employees are a company’s assets. NRL positions itself as a partner for companies to help them filter future assets,” she said.

Not all cases handled by the alliance or other similar causes end up being taken up by the police.

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