Trigger warning: this article contains material that may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences, especially sexual violence survivors.
Dila (not her real name) from Cilacap became more gloomy and quieter than her usual personality; she was usually cheerful at ten years old. Furthermore, she never went to school anymore. It happened after six of her neighbors, who were around 60 years old, raped her more than once. The first attempt occurred in May 2023.
They threatened Dila not to tell anyone, including her parents. One of the rapists persuaded Dila with money. One time, the rapists did gang rape to Dila.
After the incident, Dila became sick. She had already gone to primary health care, but there was no change. In the end, her cousin and grandmother talked with Dila to ask, and Dila told them about the rape.
“My wife and her grandmother asked her. Dila told them everything” said E, one of Dila’s family to konde.co (7/10/23). Next, Dila’s father (N) reported it to Bantarsari’s police office, Cilacap, Central Java on 23rd September 2023.
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In the current report, the No STPLP/9/IX/2023/Sek.Bts/Resta Clp/ Jateng, only one name of Dila’s rapist was there, Mah (60 years old). But, after talking with Dila a couple of times, Dila confessed that her rapist was not only Mah but there were five more people than Mah.
The survivor was referred to do visum et repertum in the hospital accompanied by police. But, family members didn’t get a result and the police didn’t say anything.
E followed it up by talking to journalists to help him to ask about the case. He could do it because he is also a journalist in Jakarta.
On the other hand, villagers started to rage because the police were considered slow to solve the case. The villagers were ready to act, but family members chose to comply with legal procedures.
“Dila’s family and I don’t want it to become chaotic. We want to finish it through legal procedures. It is the reason I asked for help from friends,” said E.
One staff of an Islamic boarding school in the village helped them. He enabled to ask two rapists until they admitted it.
“One of Santri -someone who follows Islamic religious education in an Islamic boarding school – talked with two rapists, and both of them admitted their action,” said E.
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Yet, the family didn’t know the result of visum et repertum, and the police said nothing had happened. On the contrary, some rapists already admitted their act. So, the family decided to do visum et repertum for the second time.
“Because we didn’t get any information about the result of visum et repertum, the police said nothing had happened, but some rapists said they did it. So, I suggest the family do visum et repertum again,” said E.
The family asked Dila to do visum et repertum on 29th September 2023. The process runs from morning until night.
Staff from the police office inquired about the result of visum et repertum through independent tests. At the same time, the staff were also investigating Dila’s mother’s handphone. They asked about some contacts who talked about the case, and they took a picture of Dila’s home.
Also, E informed the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) through social media. E was contacted by the staff of KPAI once, but then there has been no progress until now.
Two rapists are arrested and become suspects
Konde.co helped with this case by confirming it to Guntar Arif Setiyoko, as Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit for the Police Cilacap branch, who said that the case was already under investigation.
“Currently, two suspects are detained in the Cilacap police officer jail,” said Guntar to Konde.co through a short text message, Friday (13/10/23)
Those two suspects were Mah (60 years old) and Mus (72 years old), while four other suspects were still under investigation. Guntar indicated that the police investigation progress was based on shreds of evidence.
“For other suspects, we still wait for shreds of evidence,” he said
Cilacap police officer who worked on the case, although the report went to the Bantarsari police office. Guntar explained that the Bantarsari police officer didn’t have the duty to conduct an investigation. It was a reason that the Cilacap police officer took the case.
“After we got a report, we analyzed it to find whether there were indications of criminal acts. Next, we will process it,” he said.
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Guntar also indicated that the victim’s rights, i.e., advocacy, safety planning, and crisis intervention, were already taken care of. He also said that the survivor was already referred to a psychologist.
“We already referred Dila to a psychologist. This is also become our evidence that the raped happened” said Guntar.
Guntar indicated that social services and psychologists in Cilacap had already done the advocacy and crisis intervention process for Dila.
According to the Law on Sexual Violence Crimes, raped/sexual survivors rights included advocacy, safety planning, and crisis intervention. Advocacy rights included receiving advocacy documents, juristic, psychology, and health services. Safety planning rights included information on safety planning, protection from threats or violence from any perpetrator, and protection from humiliation from law enforcement officers.
Crisis intervention includes a survivor’s physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects. The law on Sexual Violence Crimes regulates that survivors will get medical, mental, and social rehabilitation, social empowerment, restitution and/ or compensate, and social reintegration.
Furthermore, the survivor’s family also gains rights according to The Law on Sexual Violence Crimes. Some survivors’ family rights are information on survivors’ rights, survivors’ family’s rights, and the juristic process from the report until it is finished. In addition, survivors’ family rights include psychological services, economic empowerment, access to the population document, and other documents needed.
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Yet, Dila didn’t get all the rights. Both parties, the Cilacap Police Criminal Investigation Unit, and the family, gave different statements. E explained that the family had a challenge to seek case assistance. He also indicated that the family needed legal help because they didn’t know how to handle it.
“We tried to seek legal help from legal aid (LBH) or elsewhere, but there was no result. So, there is no assistance for this case. We went only with Dila and her parents, who come from the village; they don’t know anything,” said E.
At the same time, the survivor didn’t get psychological services at all. She was still traumatized and didn’t want to go outside, including going to school after that incident. Once, her teacher came to check on her.
“Her teacher came to check her condition, but Dila felt afraid and maybe felt shame,” said E
E also said that Dila’s teacher was concerned with her condition and tried to persuade her to return to school. Nevertheless, they reflected on Dila’s condition and let her stay home until she recovered.
“They are concerned with Dila’s condition and try to make Dila return to school. But Dila is often collapsing and hurting around her genital part, so her family and I decline that idea until it is handled adequately by the police,” said E.
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E asked Konde.co about the process to get the survivor’s rights. Next, Konde.co communicated it to Sri Nurherawati as ex-commissionaire of The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan). Nurherawati connected the family to Hanifah Muyasarah (Muyas), a staff of Al-Ihyah Ulumaddin Women Islamic boarding school, Cilacap sub-district, Central Java, who gave the family services based on Islamic boarding school.
The survivor and her family met Muyas after they exchanged text messages and phone calls. Muyasarah and her team assisted them in this case.
Monday (23/11/23), Muyasarah explained to Konde.co about the case and that the family was truly alone. This is a common situation faced by survivors of sexual and family rape, causing trauma.
“This is a fact; family is traumatic and there is a survivor but be neglected. The police considered there is insufficient evidence,” said Muyasarah
She added that the result of visum et repertum from the hospital was positive, normal, and there was nothing happened. On the contrary, the second visum et repertum by independent test in Sidareja hospital showed that there are bruised and wounds around the vagina. The different results make Muyasarah feel disappointed.
Intimidation from village apparatus
In addition, the village apparatus was neglected and hindered the case. The village apparatus rebuked the father of the survivor when he tried to report the case.
“After getting information from the survivor’s aunt, the father runs to the police office to report it. Yet, the village head and his staff scolded him. They said the father was supposed to report it to the neighborhood level initially. But, as we know, he needs to report to the neighborhood level only if he asks for assistance,” said Muyas.
At the same time, Muyas felt intimidated by the village apparatus, who asked many questions when she and her team came to the survivor’s home. The questions were about the purposes of the visit.
“My friends and I feel intimidated; we are afraid of the cynical act of the village head. But we have a purpose to come, so I only answered yes to his questions,” said Muyas.
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The village apparatus gave much wrong information to Muyas and the team, such as the survivor has epilepsy, whereas the survivor’s symptoms as quickly feeling surprised and collapsing only happened after the rape incident. The family agreed with it because Dila didn’t have an epilepsy history. It was also approved after Muyas did an assessment.
“She is intelligent and average. It is contrary to information from the village head,” said Muyas.
Muyas felt that the village head and his team tried to hide the fact.
Until this article was published, four rapists were still free; one of them was minor. One of the adult rapists still has relation with the village head.
(Translated by Theresia)
