The Voiceless Responses to Sexual Violence: Are Victims Dissociated from Justice? Ludwina Victoria Sielke Laurent Sopacuaperu
Will victims of sexual violence accomplish proper support and quick responses if they report the incident to the police? Sexual violence issues have been recurring lately and revive Sexual violence is any sexual act involving force, physical harm, or even psychological intimidation to someone who did not want to1. This misbehaving treatment can occur to females and males of any age by any person, anywhere and anytime2. Most perpetrators are looking for a victim who cannot combat, for instance, an underage child, disabled person, and minority. Nevertheless, a mature victim also struggles to avoid sexual violence immediately since it occurs unexpectedly. Many victims find the difficulties of their lives after getting sexual violence related to their emotional, mental health, and relationship in the social community3. Hence, victims encourage themselves to report the incident to the authorities, yet several societal factors break it. This essay will draw on some cases and studies of sexual violence to argue that victims have an affliction to be acknowledged by authorities appropriately. Perpetrators live their best lives while victims are fighting for justice, face the public sentiment, as well as recover from trauma both physically and mentally. The judiciary often fails or even consciously stops responding and supporting victims for any reason. In 2020, the National Commission on Violence Against Women received more than 900 sexual violence cases in Indonesia 4. Based on the case handling results, only an insufficient number of successful victims can get their rights. The rest are either still waiting for justice or have given up on fighting. For instance, a sexual violence case at Shiddiqiyyah Islamic Boarding School in Jombang began in 2019. However, the perpetrator was not apprehended until 2020 although authorities to arrest the perpetrator immediately. After waiting for two years, the perpetrator 1
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1
