Sexual Harassment in West Java is Rampant, 1,366 Children Become Victims

The Public Relations Head of the West Java Police Field, Commissioner Jules Abast, stated on Thursday (2/5/2025) that the perpetrators of the YPS (a criminal group) got acquainted with the victim through the online game Mobile Legend in February 2024. They then got to know each other and exchanged phone numbers for communication through WhatsApp.

After intense commitment, the perpetrator allegedly forced the victim to send photos of himself wearing only underwear and vital organs. The perpetrator also sent a photo of his vital organs to the victim.

The perpetrator's actions caused the victim to experience trauma to this day. The perpetrator was named a suspect after undergoing examination for one day.

"The perpetrator was charged under Article 45 Paragraph 1 juncto Article 27 of Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions and Articles 4 and 5 of Law Number 12 of 2022 concerning Criminal Offenses Sexual Violence. "He faces up to 5 years in prison," said Jules.

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

He also urges parents to increase monitoring of their children's activities, especially when using internet services. This is an effort to prevent children from becoming victims of sexual abuse cases.

According to data from the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection and the police, the highest number of child violence cases in West Java in 2023 was sexual violence with 1,120 cases. The same type of violence has been dominant from January to April this year, namely sexual violence which reached 245 cases.

"If parents find any suspicious activities that may endanger their children, they are expected to contact the nearest police authorities for immediate follow-up," said Jules.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairperson of the West Java Family Learning Center, Nenny Kencanawati, expressed great sadness over the increasing cases of sexual harassment against children in West Java. She believes that this is happening due to environmental factors and the lack of supervision from families, especially parents.

The trend of violence cases against children continues to increase in the past two years. This is illustrated by the 1,696 violence cases and 1,981 child victims in 2023, while in 2022 there were 1,053 cases and 1,155 child victims.

“Parents should not be too early to entrust their children to use cell phone technology. "Increase interaction with your children at home," said Nenny.

Acting Head of the Women and Child Protection Department of the West Java Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning Office, Anjar Yusdinar, revealed that the trend of violence against children has continued to increase in the last 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 a number of factors that trigger the vulnerability of violence against children, especially in West Java. These factors include parenting patterns by families and couples who marry at a young age, which are susceptible to not having the mental, biological, and financial readiness.

"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.

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