Responses from Rector to DPR Members on Harassment at FH UI
The public is highlighting allegations of sexual harassment within the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia (FH UI). The case, allegedly involving 16 perpetrators, has drawn attention from civil society to politicians in Senayan.
The case came to public attention after 16 FH UI students from the class of 2023 issued a public apology in the faculty’s student chat group on Saturday, 11 April 2026. Shortly afterwards, the alleged sexual harassment case involving these students went viral on social media.
The X account @sampahfhui posted evidence of verbal sexual harassment against women in the form of screenshots from the perpetrators’ chat group. The students are alleged to have harassed 20 female students and seven lecturers since 2025.
What are the responses from the public to officials?
DPR Commission X
Deputy Chair of DPR Commission X, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, urged the University of Indonesia to handle the sexual harassment case at FH UI transparently. According to Lalu, the harassment uncovered from sexually charged conversations indicates weaknesses in the implementation of Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Regulation No. 55 of 2024 on the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Higher Education Environments.
The politician from the National Awakening Party also pressed UI to adhere to that regulation. “To create a deterrent effect. Of course, firm sanctions must be imposed,” said Lalu Hadrian at the DPR Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.
Lalu stated that this incident must serve as a lesson for education stakeholders to mitigate so that similar events do not recur. He noted that the event has triggered public anger given UI’s longstanding recognised reputation.
DPR Commission X plans to summon the UI Rector and several other universities to learn about the campuses’ commitment to eradicating violence issues, including sexual violence. Lalu stated that this education commission is committed to overseeing the handling of the FH UI case specifically.
UI BEM Alliance
The University of Indonesia’s All-BEM Alliance responded to the alleged sexual harassment case involving FH UI students. Chair of FH UI BEM, Anandaku Dimas Rumi Chattaristo, expressed that UI students feel angry and humiliated by this case.
The alliance also requested the Ministry of Higher Education to send a special team to examine the performance of the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (Satgas PPKS UI). “Examine why this case involving 16 students could happen and why many old cases remain unresolved without clarity,” said Dimas during a statement at the Student Activity Centre (Pusgiwa), UI Depok Campus, on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.
Based on the issue, the UI All-BEM Alliance issued five demands: first, urging the UI Board of Professors (DGB) to immediately hold an ethics trial to judge the 16 perpetrators transparently and accountably.
“Second, urging the DGB UI to issue an official recommendation to the UI Rector to permanently terminate the student status of the perpetrators,” said Dimas.
Third, demanding that the UI Rector immediately issue a permanent dismissal decree for the 16 perpetrators in accordance with Rector’s Regulation No. 5 of 2024.
Fourth, urging the UI Rector to thoroughly investigate all unresolved sexual violence cases at the University of Indonesia to date. “Fifth, freezing and revoking all organisations of the perpetrators in all UI student organisation structures permanently,” said Dimas.
Indonesian Education Monitoring Network
The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) assesses that the sexual harassment case by several FH UI students shows that violence cases in educational institutions are increasingly concerning. JPPI recorded 233 violence cases in educational environments over the last three months.
National Coordinator of JPPI, Ubaid Matraji, opined that this figure indicates that violence in educational environments is no longer sporadic incidents. “But a systemic phenomenon that occurs repeatedly and widely,” said Ubaid in a written statement on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.
Ubaid explained that the 233 violence cases in the first quarter of 2026 occurred in several places, including 71 percent in schools, 11 percent in universities, 9 percent in pesantren, 6 percent in non-formal education units, and 3 percent in madrasahs.
By type of violence, JPPI reported that sexual violence was the most common at 46 percent, followed by physical violence at 34 percent, bullying at 19 percent, policies containing violence at 6 percent, and psychological violence at 2 percent.
Ubaid emphasised that the FH UI case and this data show that Indonesia is currently facing an emergency of violence in the education sector. JPPI urges the government to immediately declare an emergency status for violence in education and make it a national priority.
JPPI also calls on the government to take firm action against perpetrators without compromise, whether from educators, fellow students, or outsiders. “The government should not just make regulations and then stay silent. Without serious steps, violence will continue to recur and damage the future of the young generation,” said Ubaid.
UI Rector
UI Rector Heri Hermansyah stated that his side opposes all forms of sexual violence and bullying cases in the campus environment he leads. Heri learned of the harassment information involving FH UI students on Sunday night, 12 April 2026.
He has asked the Dean of the Faculty of Law about this. “Waiting for a response. But I also note that in various media, the Dean of the Faculty of Law has responded, if I’m not mistaken,” he said when asked for confirmation on Monday, 13 April 2026.
He stated that the rectorate will monitor the handling of the case. “We monitor it together, yes. We fight it, we fight sexual violence,” said Heri.