Sexual Violence Survivors Reject Peaceful Settlement Route, Money and Power Imbalances at Issue

JAKARTA — The handling of sexual violence cases in Indonesia continues to be marked by various obstacles in the field.

Despite legal frameworks guaranteeing protection for survivors, social realities often force victims to abandon plans to report to authorities.

Ferry Wira Padang, Coordinator of the National Secretariat of the Forum of Service Providers (FPL), revealed that one of the most concerning phenomena is the strong pressure to resolve cases through family channels or restorative justice.

This was disclosed by Ferry during a Media Roundtable event titled “Breaking the Silence, Strengthening Services for Victims of Gender-Based and Sexual Violence”, organised by the Inisiatif Perubahan Akses menuju Sehat (IPAS) Indonesia Foundation in South Jakarta on Thursday, 12 March 2026.

This pressure does not merely come from the victim’s immediate circle such as family, relatives, or friends, but also frequently emerges from parties that should provide professional legal protection and services, such as neighbourhood officials or police officers.

Data from the Women and Children Online Information System for Protection (Simfoni PPPA) of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA) revealed that 27,897 women experienced violence in 2024, with this figure increasing to 28,592 in 2025.

“And there are approximately 376,525 cases of violence against women, of which approximately 24,472 are cases of sexual violence,” Ferry stated.

Sexual violence cases frequently demonstrate sharp power imbalances between perpetrators and victims.

Furthermore, field data shows that the majority of sexual violence cases currently predominantly affect adolescents still in secondary school and university students.

Ferry noted that financial settlement incentives often become a key tool to halt ongoing legal processes.

“Because indeed such sums of money can be very tempting, or promises made by the perpetrator’s family can be very tempting. Especially if the victim is from a lower-middle-class family, with very minimal education,” he said.

Furthermore, this class inequality triggers layered feelings of intimidation in victims’ minds.

Ultimately, survivors feel powerless, ashamed, and lack sufficient courage to even step into a police station to seek justice for themselves.