More domestic violence reported, but not tried

Dewi Santoso, Jakarta

Despite the rising confidence among women to report domestic violence to law enforcers, many of them opt to seek an out-of- court settlement, or drop the case, a state institution says.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) said on Tuesday that of the total 5,934 cases of domestic violence it handled in 2003, only 162 were heard by the court. The rest were either withdrawn by the victims, or rejected due to insufficient evidence.

A women's organization devoted to the eradication of domestic violence, Mitra Perempuan, confirmed the trend, saying that 70 percent of the 572 cases it recorded last year were settled out of court.

"Our country's legal protection of victims of domestic violence is minimal," Mitra Perempuan's executive director Rita Serena Kolibonso told a national conference held in conjunction with the non-governmental organization's ninth anniversary.

Rita said victims were often discouraged by their friends' negative responses, and the way in which the police followed up on their reports.

"Often, the victims, who are supposedly under protection, are criticized and isolated by society. As a result, they choose not to file reports so as to avoid the humiliation," Rita said.

A policewoman who spoke at the conference said that although it was true that legal protection for victims was barely adequate, sometimes, it was the victims themselves who suddenly dropped their cases.

"I once handled a domestic violence case for two weeks. Suddenly, the female victim dropped the case because her husband fell ill and she was sorry for him," said the policewoman.

Speakers at the conference agreed that the bill on anti-domestic-violence should be passed, to put an end to the uncertainty.

Rita said the much-awaited bill would curb the incidence of domestic violence as the police would be empowered to investigate cases, even if they were not reported by the victims.

A survey conducted by Mitra Perempuan-affiliated Women's Crisis Centers (WCC) in 13 cities reveals cases recorded between April 2003 and March 2004, as: Jakarta (300 cases); Bandung (33 cases); Purwokerto (14 cases) and Surakarta (25 cases), both in Central Java; Jombang, East Java, (53 cases); Banda Aceh (14 cases); Bengkulu (22 cases); Bandar Lampung (25 cases); Palembang (10 cases); Pontianak (7 cases); Manado (10 cases); Makassar (30 cases) and Kupang (32 cases).

Cases of domestic violence against women in the country have constantly increased from year to year, Mitra Perempuan claimed. From 3,169 cases reported in 2001, the figure surged to 5,163 cases in 2002, and 5,934 in 2003.

Article 12 of the bill says that anyone who witnesses domestic violence should report it to the police.