Mass Rape Tragedy in Sampang

The tragedy occurring in Sampang is truly distressing. Imagine a young 15-year-old child forced to endure the misfortune of being a victim of mass sexual violence perpetrated by 27 men recently. The police have officially transferred the suspects and evidence to the Sampang District Attorney’s Office after the case files were declared complete (P21).

This mass rape in Sampang only came to light after the victim’s grandfather reported his grandchild’s suffering to the police. The victim had been suppressing the horrific event due to ongoing death threats. In an incomprehensible development, the perpetrators even used a WhatsApp group as a coordination hub.

The perpetrators are all acquaintances, with ages ranging from 13 to 42 years. The primary mastermind behind this heinous act is a teenager identified by the initials AP, aged 15. The case is particularly complex because both the victim and many of the perpetrators are minors. Child-on-child rape is a tragedy.

MORAL DECAY

In Indonesia, sexual violence threatening children is not an isolated occurrence. Throughout 2025, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) recorded tens of thousands of victims, with at least 21,352 cases of violence against children in Indonesia. Of that number, the majority were sexual violence, reaching 12,338 cases, accounting for over 50% of all violence cases in the country.

Based on reports, most incidents of violence against children occur within the victim’s immediate environment, namely at home and school, covering 46.1% of total cases. Compared to boys, girls are the most vulnerable group and the most frequent victims of violence.

According to data from the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), there has been an increase in violence cases in schools in recent years, dominated by sexual violence and bullying. Sexual violence is a form of violence frequently experienced by girls. The mass rape of a child by dozens of perpetrators is not merely an ordinary act of rape; it is a humanitarian tragedy likely triggered by moral decay and an acute social crisis that has rendered the perpetrators devoid of empathy.

This phenomenon requires uncompromising legal action, comprehensive trauma recovery for the victim, and a profound evaluation of the environment in which children grow to break the cycle of violence. An example of a study on mass rape was conducted by Alexis Jay (2014) titled ‘The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham’. This study examined the phenomenon of ‘grooming gangs’—organised mass rape and sexual exploitation.

That study revealed that over 1,400 girls in the UK became victims of repeated group rape over a 16-year period due to systemic failures by local law enforcement authorities. While not as severe as what occurred in the UK, the mass rape in Sampang is essentially the same humanitarian tragedy. Sexual violence involving dozens of perpetrators against a minor is not merely ‘excessive teenage delinquency’. It is a form of crime triggered by collective deviance occurring within our society.

Previously, news of rape in the mass media generally involved individual crimes committed by a single predator in hidden locations. However, the event in Sampang is different. In the Sampang case, there were 27 perpetrators acting in turns. This demonstrates a new and far more terrifying dimension: the loss of social empathy among perpetrators, the erosion of social control, and the strengthening of ‘rape culture’ among children.

CAUSAL FACTORS

The occurrence of mass rape in Sampang, with most perpetrators being minors, indicates that something is wrong with our society’s socio-psychological condition. The driving factors are a combination of elements that cumulatively lead them to commit such horrific acts.

First, the impact of uncontrolled exposure to and addiction to pornography from the digital world. In today’s digital era, various pornographic contents easily accessible via gadgets and the internet are slowly eroding common sense and changing how perpetrators view victims—from humans who must be protected to mere objects of sexual gratification. It is unsurprising that children who easily access pornography may engage in behaviours that mimic what they see.

Second, the phenomenon of ‘pack mentality’ and anonymity. In this context, an individual who initially lacks the courage or intent to commit a crime alone can suddenly lose control when supported by a group. The drive for gang recognition or peer respect, combined with a loss of personal responsibility because it is shared, and the lack of social control from the surrounding environment, creates a conducive environment for collective crime. They feel a sense of anonymity that makes them feel safe committing collective crimes.

Third, the influence of the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Many cases of mass sexual violence begin with…