Case of Harassment Involving 16 FH UI Students, Expert Says "Joking" in Group Chat Can Lead to Criminal Charges

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — The case of alleged sexual harassment involving 16 students from the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia (FH UI) against female students and lecturers is now under public scrutiny. The alleged harassment went viral on social media in the form of conversations containing sexual content within a group. In response to the case, the Dean of the Faculty of Law UI issued an official statement on 12 April 2026, affirming that the faculty and university strongly condemn the act. Meanwhile, the University of Indonesia is processing the alleged verbal sexual violence involving several of its students. The handling of this case is being carried out by the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (Satgas PPKS) UI with a victim-perspective approach. “And the summoning of the students suspected to be involved,” said Erwin in a written statement received by Kompas.com on Monday. If violations are proven during the investigation process, the university will impose sanctions in accordance with applicable regulations. “And not ruling out further coordination with law enforcement authorities if criminal elements are found,” he continued. The harassment that occurred in the group conversation space raises questions about the possibility of criminal sanctions for the perpetrators. Criminal Law Expert from Trisakti University, Abdul Fickar Hadjar, emphasised that even if carried out in an internal group conversation space, the perpetrators could very well be subject to criminal law. According to him, this case must be resolved through two channels at once, namely educational ethics and firm criminal law processes.