DPR Member: Indramayu Case Should Be Momentum to Strengthen Child Protection

A member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VIII, Selly Andriany Gantina, stated that the panel of judges’ verdict against two defendants in the premeditated murder of a family in Indramayu Regency, West Java, must become a momentum to strengthen the protection system for women and children. Selly, when confirmed in Indramayu on Wednesday, said the Indramayu District Court’s ruling is part of law enforcement under the judiciary’s authority and must be respected as a manifestation of due process of law. “We respect the verdict of the Indramayu District Court panel of judges, which sentenced one defendant to death and the other to life imprisonment,” she said. According to her, attention must not stop at the punitive aspect but should be directed towards evaluating the protection system for women and children to prevent similar incidents. She reminded that the state has an obligation to guarantee children’s rights to live, grow, develop, and obtain protection from all forms of violence, as stipulated in Law Number 35 of 2014 on Child Protection. Furthermore, she said the implementation of Law Number 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes must also be continuously strengthened as part of efforts to protect women from various forms of gender-based violence. “Strict law enforcement must go hand in hand with strengthening prevention efforts,” she stated. Additionally, Selly stressed the importance of expanding education on preventing domestic violence while ensuring psychological assistance and social rehabilitation services for the victims’ families. According to her, coordination between the central government, regional governments, law enforcement officials, and protection service agencies needs to be more integrated so that any indication of violence can be addressed before it escalates into a tragedy. “Every child and every woman has the right to live safely, free from violence, and to obtain real state protection. That is the constitutional mandate we must continue to realise together,” she said. Previously, the panel of judges at the Indramayu District Court sentenced defendant Ririn Rifanto to death with a 10-year probation period and defendant Priyo Bagus Setiawan to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of five members of a family in Paoman Village, Indramayu Regency. The panel of judges stated the verdict was based on witness testimony, evidence, and legal facts revealed during the trial, which showed the two defendants conspired to plan and execute the murder to seize the victims’ assets.