Komnas: Assault on UIN Suska female student classified as femicide

Jakarta — The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) regards the assault on a female student at Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim (UIN Suska) in Riau as femicide. ‘In this case the victim suffered acts of violence that were an attempt to kill her, driven by hatred, possessiveness, and a compulsion to punish women for rejecting the perpetrator. It can be concluded that this case is femicide,’ said Devi Rahayu, a member of Komnas Perempuan, when contacted in Jakarta on Thursday. She argued that the extreme form of gender-based crime evident in this case can be described as femicide. Femicide is the most extreme form of gender-based violence that can end in a woman’s death because of her gender identity, she added. It differentiates from murder or attempted murder by its strong gender dimension in motive, pattern, and context of occurrence. ‘Conceptually, femicide refers to the killing of women driven by hatred, control, possessiveness, or the urge to punish women for their life choices. In many cases, femicide occurs within intimate relationships such as with a partner or former partner,’ Devi Rahayu said. Previously, FAP (23), a UIN Suska Riau student, became the victim of severe assault by her fellow student RM (22) on 26 February 2026. The assault occurred on the UIN Suska Riau campus as the victim was about to undergo her proposal seminar. The severe assault was motivated by a personal relationship. The Riau Police have named RM as a suspect. The victim is currently in recovery following major surgery.