Student in Semarang Named Suspect in Verbal Sexual Harassment Case

Semarang (ANTARA) - Police have named MFA (19), a university student in Semarang, as a suspect in a case of alleged verbal sexual harassment. The Head of the Women and Children Protection and Anti-Trafficking Unit at the Semarang Police, Commissioner Ni Made Sriniti, stated on Friday that the suspect was identified after investigators gathered sufficient evidence. The case was initiated following a report from a female student at the same university who was the victim of the alleged harassment. Investigators have secured evidence in the form of screenshots of conversations between the victim and the suspect, which are believed to contain elements of sexual harassment. The suspect is charged under Law Number 12 of 2022 concerning the Criminal Act of Sexual Violence. However, the police have not detained the suspect. “Because the threat of punishment is less than five years, he is not detained but is subject to mandatory reporting,” she said. The police are also coordinating with the university’s Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (PPKS) to determine if there are other victims. “From the campus task force, there have been several reports with the same perpetrator,” she added. The case began when the suspect communicated with the victim, who was also a student and ran a side business providing courier and delivery services, on Wednesday (17/6). During the communication, the suspect allegedly sent messages with sexual harassment undertones to the victim. Screenshots of the conversation subsequently circulated widely on social media.