Jakarta Globe – AFP, Apr 29, 2014
Jakarta. A sex abuse scandal at one of Indonesia’s most prestigious international schools has sparked a heated debate about the failure to protect children in the country and prompted calls for harsher punishments for pedophiles.
 |
| Indonesian mothers protest against child sexual abuse in Banda Aceh, following incidents of child sexual abuse in the Aceh province and in the capital, Jakarta. (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin) |
Jakarta. A sex abuse scandal at one of Indonesia’s most prestigious international schools has sparked a heated debate about the failure to protect children in the country and prompted calls for harsher punishments for pedophiles.
Accusations
that a six-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by cleaning staff at the nursery
of the Jakarta International School, a favorite with the capital’s expatriates
and wealthy Indonesians, sparked widespread anger this month.
A second
child has since come forward claiming to have been assaulted at the nursery —
which the government has now ordered to be closed — and the school has also
disclosed it used to employ an American teacher who was suspected of being a
prolific pedophile.
Police have
arrested six cleaners contracted from an outside company over the recent abuse
accusations, one of whom has committed suicide, and the school has pledged to
cooperate with the investigation.
Beyond
public anger over the alleged abuse at the elite school, the scandal has
focused attention on a subject previously little discussed in Indonesia — the
high incidence of child sex attacks, particularly in schools.
The
national commission for child protection (KPAI) says it received around 3,000
reports of sexual abuse of minors in 2013, double the figure from five years
ago, with some 30 percent of cases in educational institutions.
Commission
member Seto Mulyadi said the figures were “only the tip of the iceberg”.
“Many cases
still go unreported because victims’ families feel ashamed,” he added.
There has
been much soul-searching in the national media on the subject following the
Jakarta case, with commentators demanding that more action be taken to
guarantee the safety of youngsters.
Calls for
harsher punishments
Media have
also focused intensely on other sex abuse stories in the wake of the scandal,
such as one involving a six-year-old girl allegedly assaulted by a policeman in
Aceh province, on western Sumatra island.
 |
| A six-year-old girl from Banda Aceh who was the victim of alleged sexual abuse by a local policeman, being held by her mother, on April 24, 2014 (AFP Photo/ Chaideer Mahyuddin) |
The child’s
mother initially said she felt too “ashamed” to report the matter but when
accusations surfaced the policeman abused a second girl, she decided to go to
the police.
The accused
officer has since been arrested.
However
even when attackers are caught, child safety campaigners say that sentences are
typically too short to deter potential pedophiles.
The maximum
sentence for a child sex offender in Indonesia is 15 years and a fine of up to
$26,000 — but most who are convicted typically only receive three to five years
in jail, campaigners say.
However the
debate sparked by the Jakarta case has led to calls for tougher punishment and
politicians have started discussing increasing sentences for people who
sexually assault youngsters.
“The
sentence should be increased to 20 years in prison at the minimum and a maximum
penalty of life imprisonment,” said minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, whose
portfolio includes child protection.
Senior
education ministry official Lydia Freyani Hawadi added the case was a “golden
opportunity” to improve checks on people applying to become teachers at
schools.
Adding to
the sense of crisis at Jakarta International School, news emerged last week
that William James Vahey, a 64-year-old US citizen described by the FBI as a
“suspected serial child predator”, taught at the institution for a decade until
2002.
However
there have been no allegations that Vahey, who committed suicide last month
when his then employer discovered a thumb drive containing graphic images of
boys, carried out abuse at the Indonesian school.
The
institution has moved to try and put a lid on the controversy, with the head
Tim Carr insisting in regular media appearances the school is committed to
child protection.
The school
says it has strengthened security by adding extra security cameras and
improving its child protection measures.
While there
is hope that something good may come out of a horrible case in the form of
stronger legislation to protect children, activists say for many youngsters
across Indonesia, it is already too late.
Children
who have been abused “develop esteem problems, become withdrawn, have problems
studying, and may be so disturbed that they grow up modeling the same behavior
as their perpetrators,” said Seto from the child protection commission.
Agence
France-Presse
Related Article:
No comments:
Post a Comment