LPSK: 65 Percent of Sexual Violence Perpetrators Unable to Pay Restitution

The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) is optimising the implementation of the Victim Assistance Fund (DBK) for the recovery or restitution of victims of sexual violence crimes. LPSK Deputy Chair Sri Nurherwati stated that the victim assistance fund is crucial as a part of restitution, because the majority of sexual violence perpetrators are unable to pay compensation in full. She explained that 65 percent of sexual violence perpetrators do not have the financial ability to pay restitution, while only 35 percent are capable of doing so. “So, the DBK will ultimately be used to cover that 65 percent,” she said in Jakarta on Friday (17/7). She noted that applications for protection for victims of sexual violence are highest among child victims, with 60 to 70 percent being girls. The agency has obtained an additional budget allocation, increasing the fund from approximately Rp700 million to Rp8 billion. LPSK also recorded a disparity between the agency’s calculation of victim losses and the restitution ordered by courts. The agency’s calculated losses reached more than Rp14 billion, whereas prosecutors’ demands were around Rp1.3 billion and judges’ rulings were approximately Rp1.8 billion. LPSK plans to engage in dialogue with law enforcement officials to establish a common standard for calculating restitution. In addition to government funds, LPSK is also opening partnership opportunities with philanthropic organisations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, and the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections to enable perpetrators to contribute to fulfilling their restitution obligations.