House Commission X Highlights Campus Harassment Cases, Calls for Firm Punishment for Perpetrators
Several sexual harassment cases in university environments have emerged in recent times. Deputy Chairman of DPR Commission X, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, stated that the issue stems from several interconnected factors.
“We view the prevalence of sexual harassment cases on any campus, whether at UI, IPB, Unpad, or Budi Luhur, as a serious problem that does not stand alone but is linked to several fundamental factors,” Lalu said when contacted on Sunday (19/4/2026).
He explained that the first factor contributing to the persistence of harassment cases on campuses is the unequal power relations between lecturers and students. According to Lalu, campuses also remain permissive towards deviant behaviour by lecturers or students.
“It could be that some of these factors include the strong power dynamics between lecturers and students, a permissive culture towards deviant behaviour, and the suboptimal implementation of prevention and handling systems in the campus environment,” Lalu clarified.
“In my opinion, this is not merely an individual issue, but also concerns governance, academic culture, and the institution’s courage in consistently enforcing rules,” he added.
Lalu stated that campuses must strengthen the implementation of Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Regulation No. 55 of 2024 on the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Higher Education Environments in a more firm and measurable manner.
Campuses, said Lalu, also need to evaluate the performance of the PPKS Task Force, strengthen safe and responsive reporting mechanisms, and provide ongoing education to build a culture of mutual respect.
He also encouraged the imposition of firm punishments on perpetrators of sexual violence on campuses without exception. Harsh sanctions are expected to create a deterrent effect and suppress similar cases in the future.
“Sanctions must be enforced to create a deterrent effect, while also ensuring maximum protection for victims. With these steps, it is hoped that similar cases can be reduced and the educational environment truly becomes a safe and dignified space,” Lalu said.
As is known, this month there have been four sexual harassment cases on campuses that have come to public attention. Two cases involve lewd group chats in the Faculty of Law at Universitas Indonesia and Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB).
The other two cases involve sexual harassment by a professor at Universitas Padjadjaran against a foreign female student, and sexual harassment by a lecturer at Universitas Budi Luhur against a female student.