Human Rights Minister: No Restorative Justice for Taufik Hidayat

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has insisted that Taufik Hidayat, the perpetrator of the confinement and sadistic torture of a woman with the initials YTR (29) in Bandung Regency, West Java, receive a commensurate punishment. Pigai stressed that there must be no restorative justice for Taufik. “I demand the legal process be upheld and there must be no restorative justice. A punishment must be given so that the same act is not repeated in the future,” said Pigai. According to Pigai, the Ministry of Human Rights, through its West Java Regional Office, has deployed personnel to the field to monitor the handling of the case. Pigai asserted that the state must be present to ensure the victim obtains justice and the protection of human rights. Pigai assessed that the abuse, accompanied by physical and psychological torture, not only injured the victim but also impacted her family and created fear within the community, particularly among women. Therefore, Pigai stated that all legal provisions concerning the protection of women and children must be applied consistently. According to Pigai, women and children are vulnerable groups that must receive state protection through various institutions, such as the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), and the Ministry of Human Rights. “Humanity involves a relationship between a man and a woman to protect and look after each other, not to torture one another,” he said. Pigai also requested that law enforcement officials pay attention to the sense of justice of the victim and her family in handling the case. He argued that the measure of justice must consider the perspective of the victim and the family, not solely the assessment of other parties. The government, Pigai continued, will continue to push for law enforcement in cases related to human rights violations to prevent recurrence and ensure optimal protection for vulnerable groups. Previously, the West Java Regional Police arrested a man named Taufik Hidayat suspected of confining and torturing a woman with the initials YTR (29) in Bandung Regency for approximately three years. The case came to light after the victim’s family received a message via WhatsApp from an unknown person informing them that the victim was in the Emergency Room of Hasan Sadikin Hospital (RSHS) Bandung.