House Urges Comprehensive Recovery for Sampang Gang Rape Victim

House of Representatives member Amelia Anggraini is urging guarantees for the recovery of a gang rape victim in Sampang, East Java, which involved dozens of perpetrators. Amelia stressed that the state’s focus must not be limited to pursuing the perpetrators, but must also secure the victim’s future. According to her, comprehensive recovery encompasses psychological, medical, legal, and social aspects, as well as the continuity of education. “The state must not only be present when a case has gone viral. The state must be present from prevention until the victim has fully recovered,” Amelia said in Jakarta on Saturday. Beyond recovery, Amelia urged the police to be professional in resolving the case. She pressed for all suspects still at large to be arrested immediately. Regarding perpetrators who are still minors, she emphasised that the legal process must proceed in accordance with the juvenile criminal justice system. Amelia also provided specific notes regarding the handling of digital evidence and the protection of the victim’s privacy. According to Sampang Police Chief AKBP Hartono, trauma recovery efforts for the victim have been initiated by the East Java Regional Police together with the East Java Provincial Social Service. The victim is reported to be suffering from severe trauma as a result of the incident. “Teams from these two institutions have visited the victim’s home, and the individual has even undergone psychiatric examinations twice as part of the trauma recovery efforts,” AKBP Hartono explained on Tuesday. The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection is overseeing the child sexual assault case in Sampang. A deputy minister assessed that chemical castration penalties need to be reviewed due to the risk of repeat offences. The National Commission on Violence Against Women supports the police’s efforts to follow up on the case through a comprehensive law enforcement process by applying relevant articles. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission assessed the case of sexual violence against a child in Sampang by 27 perpetrators as a reflection of a national caregiving crisis and the influence of the digital world. Sampang Police have arrested 12 of the 27 suspects in the sexual violence case against the 15-year-old child. Police are still hunting the remaining 15 perpetrators who have been placed on the wanted list.