Six Unesa Students Suspended Over WhatsApp Group Sexually Harassing Lecturers and Students

Surabaya State University (Unesa) has suspended six vocational students reported for alleged sexual harassment via a WhatsApp group containing unethical conversations that objectified a number of female students and lecturers. The Chair of Unesa’s Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Violence (Satgas PPK), Iman Pasu Marganda Hadiarto Purba, stated that the six reported individuals have been suspended from all academic and campus activities to facilitate the investigation process. Iman explained that the case originated from a complaint regarding a history of unethical conversations in a WhatsApp communication group involving the six reported vocational students. The conversations subsequently circulated widely and were swiftly addressed following a formal report to the Satgas PPK. “The case involves verbal violence in the form of a student group chat containing unethical messages about their peers and several lecturers,” Iman said on Sunday. Based on the preliminary investigation, evidence and witness statements indicate at least 26 victims, comprising 22 female students and four lecturers. Iman stated that the task force is handling the case in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Regulation Number 55 of 2024 concerning the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Higher Education, employing a victim-centred approach and upholding the principles of justice, confidentiality, and prudence. “The handling of this case involves a strict mechanism, starting from receiving reports, case review, evidence gathering, examining the reported individuals and witnesses, victim support, summoning parents, to compiling conclusions and recommendations, and the imposition of sanctions by the rector,” he said. Iman emphasised that the suspension of the six reported students is not a final sanction but rather part of the administrative procedure to ensure the investigation proceeds independently while maintaining the presumption of innocence. “The reported students are suspended from all academic activities, except for fulfilling obligations related to this investigation. This is not the final sanction, but part of the handling procedure,” he stressed. He added that the task force is continuing an intensive investigation to ascertain the level of violence and to mitigate the possibility of other parties being involved or affected. “We are still conducting an in-depth investigation, examining witnesses, and collecting additional evidence from the extensive chat history to map out the case completely, objectively, and fairly,” Iman said. He affirmed that Unesa’s institutional stance is clear: all forms of violence must be handled and acted upon firmly, fairly, and proportionally to create a safe, friendly, healthy campus environment free from all forms of violence. The task force ensures the handling approach is oriented towards victim protection and recovery, providing psychological support, legal aid, and ongoing academic support. Unesa also guarantees the confidentiality of all victims, complainants, and witnesses. “In addition to focusing on case handling, victim support is our priority. The task force team provides psychological assistance, ensures the smooth running of their academic support, and prepares legal aid if necessary,” he added. The task force urged the entire academic community not to hesitate or fear reporting any form of violence they encounter or experience directly. Previously, the Chair of the Unesa Vocational Faculty Student Council, Tegar Eka Pambudi El Akhsan, stated that the six reported individuals are RY, HA, AD, RE, JO, and DO. The chat group was initially created to discuss competition activities but was later used for unethical conversations leading to alleged sexual harassment. Tegar revealed that the forms of harassment in the group included verbal abuse, fantasy-based objectification, and the creation of unethical content using artificial intelligence.