Sexual Violence at IPB Allegedly Involves 16 Students

The Student Executive Board of the Family of Students (BEM KM) at IPB University has revealed that there are 16 students suspected of being involved in a sexual violence case that occurred within the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FTT).

IPB University Student President Abdan Muhammad Abdan Rofi stated that the alleged perpetrators and the victim are from the same cohort, namely cohort 59 in the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology at IPB.

Abdan said that this case has been handled intensively by the campus authorities. He mentioned that the faculty dean’s office plans to impose academic sanctions on the perpetrators. “It is currently under discussion by the faculty dean’s office for the details of the academic sanctions. There are 16 suspected perpetrators,” said Abdan when contacted on Friday, 17 April 2026.

This alleged sexual violence came under public scrutiny after screenshots of conversations by the perpetrators circulated widely on social media. The dozen students engaged in sexually toned conversations that harassed the victim in an internal group on a messaging platform.

Based on initial information, Abdan explained that the sexual violence occurred in 2024. The perpetrators and the victim had previously undergone mediation in the same year. The mediation between the two parties at that time was conducted within the internal scope of the Department of Mechanical and Biosystem Technology, facilitated by senior students.

However, the case resurfaced after a similar sexual violence case at the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia, was exposed. Abdan said the victim reposted the screenshots of the harassing conversations. The victim has now also made an official report to the campus authorities.

“At present, the mediation between the perpetrators and the victim has been elevated to the dean’s office level and is accompanied by the institution and BEM,” he said.

IPB’s Director of Cooperation, Communication, and Marketing, Alfian Helmi, stated that the IPB Campus Security, Safety, and Protection Management Office (KMKKPK) has begun investigating the case. The campus has summoned several related parties, gathered evidence, and coordinated with authorised units within the campus environment.

Alfian assured that IPB will impose sanctions on the perpetrators if they are proven to have committed violations. However, alongside that, IPB asks all parties to restrain themselves and respect the ongoing process so that the case resolution can be carried out objectively.

“Updates on the handling of this case will be conveyed periodically in accordance with the ongoing process, while still upholding the principles of prudence and justice,” said Alfian as quoted by Antara on Thursday, 16 April 2026.

This case at IPB is one in a series of sexual violence cases exposed at various higher education institutions over the past week. At the Faculty of Law, UI, 16 students are suspected of sexually harassing 20 female students and 7 lecturers from the same faculty. The verbal sexual harassment was also spread on social media.

In addition, a professor from the Faculty of Nursing at Universitas Padjadjaran, initialled IY, is suspected of committing sexual violence against an exchange programme student. The campus has now decided to deactivate Professor IY’s status.

At the same time, several violence cases have also occurred at Universitas Budi Luhur, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).