AKP Siti Elminawati's Commitment to Defending Women and Child Victims of Sexual Violence

Head of Unit 1, Sub-directorate 4 of the Central Sulawesi Regional Police’s General Criminal Investigation Directorate, AKP Siti Elminawati, is committed to defending women, children, and vulnerable groups who are victims of sexual violence. Her motivation stems from having once been in the position of a sexual violence victim herself.

AKP Siti recounted that she joined the Indonesian National Police (Polri) in 2001. She said the initial encouragement to become a police officer came from her uncle. AKP Siti is a candidate for the 2026 Hoegeng Awards in the category of Police Protector of Women and Children (Vulnerable Groups).

‘At the time, there was internal conflict in Poso and my uncle suggested I become a policewoman. I saw the social situation was not conducive, so I felt that being a policewoman was the right path when we could help the community live in peace,’ AKP Siti said during an interview for the Hoegeng Awards 2026 candidates.

Since becoming a policewoman, AKP Siti has been directly involved in the field of women and children protection (PPA). According to her, working in the PPA unit requires prioritising empathy for the victims.

‘Why do we prioritise the victim’s perspective? Because the victim is someone who has been hurt, whether physically or psychologically. If we do not find the right solution, this victim will feel increasingly despondent in the future,’ Siti said.

‘My approach is that of a mother, and alhamdulillah, when handling cases, prioritising a maternal approach can open up space for both victims and perpetrators to provide information without intimidation,’ she added.

However, long before AKP Siti became a policewoman defending women and children victims of sexual violence, she had experienced deep trauma. AKP Siti was born into a broken home and was a victim of sexual violence during her junior and senior high school years.

‘It turns out that this wound is what drives me to keep working, especially in the PPA unit, to help victims who are afraid to speak up. That is why my approach when handling cases where the victims are of sexual abuse, I become the person I was several decades ago,’ she said.

AKP Siti believes God has prepared her to help women and children who are victims of sexual violence. Therefore, she is committed to continuing to defend these vulnerable groups.

‘Perhaps through my service in the PPA, people who hope for justice can find resolution,’ she asserted.

Meanwhile, Sigi Police Chief AKBP Kari Amsah Ritonga appreciated AKP Siti’s performance during her tenure as the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sigi Police. According to him, AKP Siti is a maternal, firm, and humanist policewoman.

‘Mrs Siti is a maternal and firm figure, as well as humanist in leading and directing her subordinates in law enforcement. In terms of work, Mrs Siti is a tenacious and resilient policewoman in carrying out her duties,’ AKBP Ritonga said.

AKP Siti’s commitment to protecting women and children was also highlighted by the Executive Director of Libu Perempuan Central Sulawesi, Dewi Rana. She noted that, in simple terms, AKP Siti does not count the cost when handling cases of sexual violence against women and children.

‘I see her commitment is quite good, especially for child protection. Sometimes in handling cases, we lack funds, for example for the victim’s return transport. When we have no budget, we say, ’let’s chip in’. So Mrs Siti sometimes uses her own money out of empathy for the victim to get them home,’ Dewi Rana said.

Furthermore, AKP Siti is considered a police officer who genuinely cares about women and children victims of violence. According to Dewi, this concern is born naturally from within AKP Siti.

‘There are things that I think are very genuine, done by an officer. Not many people have such concern for victims of violence against women; it comes from within Mrs Siti. I think that is interesting,’ she added.