Komnas Perempuan Apologises for Statement on YTR Torture Case Classification
Komnas Perempuan has apologised for its statements regarding the case of a woman in Bandung, YTR, who was subjected to abuse for three years, stating that the incident does not fall under the specific category of torture as defined by the United Nations. The commission maintains that the case constitutes extreme, sadistic, and cruel multi-layered violence that degrades human dignity.
“Komnas Perempuan understands the immense public attention regarding the YTR case in Bandung. Therefore, Komnas Perempuan offers a sincere apology regarding our statements made during the International Day Against Torture Press Conference on 26 June 2026, which discussed the case within the framework of the Convention against Torture (CAT),” said Vice Chair of Komnas Perempuan, Ratna Batara Munti, in a written statement on the commission’s official website on Monday (29/6).
Komnas Perempuan stated that the YTR case is a form of extreme, sadistic, and cruel multi-layered gender-based violence against women (KBGtP), meeting the elements of severe physical abuse under criminal law. In everyday public understanding, such actions are also viewed as torture due to the level of cruelty and suffering inflicted.
The commission stated that its institutional focus has remained unchanged: to oversee the protection, recovery, and fulfilment of victims’ rights, and to support law enforcement that provides justice for the victim.
The explanation provided during the previous press conference was made within the context of discussing the Convention against Torture, which was ratified through Law Number 5 of 1998. Article 1 of this law defines torture as acts committed by state officials or non-state actors acting with the instigation or acquiescence of the state. Therefore, Komnas Perempuan clarified that the explanation was not intended to minimise the severity of the violence or the suffering experienced by the victim.
“The fact is, this case has resulted in extraordinary suffering and permanent disability for the victim, as well as causing profound physical, psychological, and economic loss,” said Ratna Batara.
Furthermore, Komnas Perempuan expressed support for the various parties that took swift action, including hospitals, caregivers, the community, local government, and law enforcement, ensuring the victim received proper care.
Komnas Perempuan Commissioner, Sondang Frishka Simanjuntak, had previously stated that the confinement and abuse of YTR by Taufik Hidayat in Bandung did not constitute torture. Sondang noted that the definition of torture in this case did not meet the categories established by the United Nations Convention against Torture.
This was stated by Sondang during an event for the International Day Against Torture at the Ombudsman Office in Jakarta on Friday (26/6/2026). Komnas Perempuan addressed the YTR case in response to significant public attention.
“Regarding the YTR case, we must state here that we cannot yet view the YTR case as a case of torture under the definition of the Convention against Torture. In the Convention against Torture, it is required that the act is intended to inflict severe pain to achieve a specific purpose,” Sondang said during a Q&A session with journalists on Sunday (28/6).
She noted that under the UN Convention concept, the definition of torture involves purposes such as obtaining a confession or discrimination, and requires the involvement of the state. Sondang also raised the question of whether there was state neglect in this specific case.
“Those purposes include, for example, obtaining a confession or for discrimination, and involve state involvement. In the YTR case, we can see that there were indeed actions that caused severe pain. Therefore, the impact is extraordinary,” concluded Sondang.