The Blurry Face of Child Protection in West Java, Victims of Violence Reach 2,385 People

The police have designated them as suspects and are facing up to nine years in prison. They are charged with two articles in the Criminal Code, namely Article 306 on child abandonment and Article 341 on a mother who is afraid of being caught giving birth intentionally killing her child.

Acting Head of the Women and Children Protection Division at the West Java Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning Agency, Anjar Yusdinar, presented on Thursday (25/4/2024) in Bandung that there were 1,696 cases of violence against children throughout the year 2023. A total of 1,981 children were victims.

The children who became victims of violence in 2023 consisted of 1,379 female victims and 602 male victims. The three regions in West Java with the highest cases of violence against children throughout 2023 were Depok City with 221 cases, Bandung City with 208 cases, and Bekasi Regency with 169 cases.

Also read: Abandoning a baby to death, two students face up to 9 years in prison

Meanwhile, data from January to April 2024 shows 338 cases of violence against children in West Java. The number of victims is 404 children, consisting of 251 female victims and 153 male victims.

The types of violence experienced by children, especially in West Java, include sexual violence, bullying, psychological violence, neglect, physical violence, exploitation and child trafficking. In terms of types of violence, the highest number of cases in 2023 will be sexual violence with 1,120 cases. The same type of violence dominated from January to April this year, namely sexual violence which reached 245 cases.

"The number of children who become victims of violence is less than 1 percent of around 15 million children in West Java. However, we do not underestimate this number because every child is precious and should not be a victim of violence," said Anjar.

Tends to increase

They also revealed that the trend of violence cases against children has been increasing in the past two years. This is illustrated by the occurrence of 1,696 cases of violence and 1,981 child victims in 2023, while in 2022 there were 1,053 cases and 1,155 child victims.

Anjar believes that there are several factors that contribute to the risk of violence against children, especially in West Java. These factors include the patterns of parenting within families and couples who get married at an early age, which are vulnerable to lacking the mental, biological, and financial readiness needed.

"The majority of perpetrators of violence against children come from people closest to the victim, such as their family at home and their environment. "We have prepared safe houses and continue to synergize with the police and the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Services in 27 city districts to deal with cases of child violence," he said.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chair II of the Family Learning Center (Puspaga) in West Java, Nenny Kencanawati, said that the increasing trend of reported cases can reveal the problem of violence against children that has been hidden. Puspaga is one of the partners of the West Java Provincial Government in providing assistance to victims of violence, especially women and children.

The number of children who become victims of violence is less than 1 percent of the approximately 15 million children in West Java. However, we do not underestimate this number because every child is valuable and should not be a victim of violence.

A number of students displayed their palms as a campaign to stop violence against children during the National Children's Day commemoration in West Java District of Kuningan on Thursday (28/7/2022). Last April, the West Java Provincial Government launched the "Brave to Prevent Violence" or Jabar Cekas campaign to anticipate cases of violence against children.

Nenny stated that she supports and encourages victims to report the violence they experience. The Puspaga service, which is available in 18 districts and 9 cities in West Java, is ready to assist.

"Puspaga has been collaborating with local governments and the police. We will provide information to the authorities when victims experience unlawful violent acts," said Nenny.

Also read: Awareness of Complaints of Violence Against Women and Children in West Java Soars