Psychologist: Rape Victims Must Be Protected, Not Married to the Perpetrator
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Clinical psychologist from the Pulih Foundation, Noridha Weningsari, stresses that the state and families must ensure that victims of sexual violence receive legal justice and psychological support, rather than being married to the perpetrators.
According to Noridha, the practice of marrying victims to perpetrators is not a solution but a form of institutionalised violence because it keeps the victim in a cycle of trauma.
She explains that, from the perspective of psychotraumatology, sexual abuse is an event that destroys the most fundamental sense of safety.
When the victim is then married to the perpetrator, what occurs is prolonged trauma exposure or chronic traumatic exposure.
As a result, the victim lives in a sense of threat that never truly disappears.
Noridha adds that post-abuse marriage has the potential to worsen the victim’s psychological condition.
Based on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) literature, trauma will worsen if the individual continues to be exposed to the same triggers without a sense of safety.
“Post-rape marriage has the potential to cause complex trauma (C-PTSD) and very fatal long-term risks, ranging from severe depression, anxiety disorders, to suicide risk,” she said.
Moreover, the relationship in such a marriage is considered unequal because the perpetrator holds a dual position of power, as both the abuser and a socially legitimate husband. This situation has the potential to trigger repeated violence.
Even, sexual relations in that marriage could become a form of ongoing sexual violence.
“The victim is forced to have sexual relations with the person who has destroyed their personal integrity, which psychologically positions the victim as experiencing repeated rape,” said Noridha.
She also highlights revictimisation, where the victim becomes a victim again due to decisions by the family and social environment that force them to live with the perpetrator.
Furthermore, Noridha emphasises that handling victims of sexual violence must prioritise a recovery approach or trauma-informed care.