Women's activist seeks law on domestic violence

Women's activist seeks law on domestic violence

JAKARTA (JP): A female activist yesterday called on the
government to establish a law on domestic violence to protect
women from assault.

Chairwoman of the Association of Indonesian Women for Justice
(APIK) Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said the law would provide women
with legal protection against mental and physical assault by
their husbands.

She said the Criminal Code only provides general protection
for family members, but failed to specify the protection measures
for the wives.

"Articles 351 to 356 of the Criminal Code only provide general
penalties for domestic violence against all members of a family,"
Nursyahbani told reporters after addressing a one-day workshop on
domestic violence here yesterday.

The workshop was held in commemoration of the International
Anti-Violence Against Women Day.

Nursyahbani cited neighboring Malaysia's legal protection for
wives, the Domestic Violence Act, which stipulates a restraining
order for a husband who is found guilty of assaulting his wife.

"He (the husband) can return (to his wife) only after the
court issues a special permit," she said.

Nursyahbani said husbands' assault against their wives made up
the greatest number of domestic violence cases in the past two
years. But she said there had been a decline.

"APIK handled 12 cases of domestic violence this year,
compared with 29 cases last year," she said.

She said cases of domestic violence had frequently been
published in newspapers, but often failed to reach the court as
the wives still considered taking such "personal" matters to
court a taboo.

She said Indonesian women's misinterpretation of their
religious teachings often prevented them from obtaining legal
help. (09)