House Urges Maximum Penalties, Including Chemical Castration, for Torture Suspect Taufik Hidayat
The House of Representatives (DPR) is urging law enforcement to apply layered charges and the maximum possible penalties, including chemical castration, against Taufik Hidayat, the suspect in the torture and confinement of a 29-year-old woman.
Chairman of Commission III DPR Habiburokhman stated that the suspect’s actions deeply offend the sense of humanity. He urged law enforcement officials not to hesitate in charging the perpetrator with multiple criminal articles carrying the heaviest possible sentences. Habiburokhman said the police should utilise all available legal instruments, including the Criminal Code regarding confinement and aggravated assault, as well as the Sexual Violence Crime Law if investigative developments uncover such elements.
He emphasised that the maximum layered punishment for Taufik Hidayat is not only for the sake of justice for the deeply traumatised victim, but also as a stern warning and a real deterrent effect to prevent anyone else from committing such heinous acts. Commission III pledged to oversee the legal process until its conclusion in court. He also commended the West Java Police Chief and his ranks for their swift, responsive, and tactical action in arresting the suspect.
Meanwhile, fellow Commission III member Abdullah called for law enforcers to impose the maximum sanction of chemical castration. He argued that the crime was not merely ordinary abuse, but a systematic deprivation of freedom and destruction of the victim’s dignity over a long period. He said the suspect deserves chemical castration, especially considering his record of repeated violence, as police revealed that the suspect’s former wife had also been a victim of his brutal violence.
Abdullah stated that this pattern of behaviour demonstrates the suspect’s dangerous nature, and that chemical castration serves not only as punishment but also as an effort to protect society, particularly women, from future threats. He also urged the police to immediately open a special complaint post to facilitate reports from other potential victims who may have remained silent due to trauma or fear. He stressed that the state must provide full protection, both legally and through psychological support.
Taufik Hidayat was arrested by a joint team from the West Java Regional Police in a housing complex in Ciparay District, Bandung Regency, on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time. During his time as a fugitive, the suspect frequently moved locations, travelling to Tangerang before returning to West Java out of fear and confusion, until he was finally apprehended in Majalaya.