Peer-reviewed article
The Role of the Women and Children Service Unit in Handling Cases of Sexual Violence Against Children
Aurel Frisky Sanjaya, Surahman Surahman ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines how Indonesia's Women and Children Service Unit in Samarinda City Police handles cases of sexual violence against children. The unit provides victim assistance and processes cases through the legal system, but faces significant obstacles including insufficient trained staff, limited facilities, and delays in medical examinations. Social factors such as stigma and family fear of reporting also prevent cases from being investigated effectively. The study recommends increasing professional personnel, improving facilities, and raising public awareness about reporting sexual violence.
Key points
- The Women and Children Service Unit handles victim assistance and case processing for sexual violence against children, but effectiveness is limited
- Key obstacles include lack of expert personnel, inadequate facilities, and delays in forensic examination results
- Social factors including victim family stigma and fear of reporting significantly hinder law enforcement
- Limited coordination between relevant institutions slows case resolution
- Recommendations include adding professionals, improving facilities, and conducting public education campaigns
Limitations
This study describes operational challenges faced by one police unit in one city and cannot tell us about the effectiveness of services from the victim's perspective, outcomes for child victims, or how service quality compares across different regions of Indonesia.
Abstract
Sexual violence against children is a form of criminal act that has a serious impact on the victim, both physically and psychologically. Although Indonesia is a country of law that upholds justice, the reality is that there are still various obstacles in law enforcement against perpetrators of sexual violence against children. The Samarinda City Resort Police Women and Children Service Unit plays an important role in handling these cases, including in providing assistance to victims and processing cases to the legal settlement stage. However, in its implementation, the Women and Children Service Unit still faces various obstacles, both in terms of technical, human resources, and social factors. This study aims to analyze the role of the Women and Children Service Unit of the Samarinda City Resort Police in handling sexual violence against children and identify inhibiting factors in the implementation of their duties. This study uses an empirical juridical method with a qualitative approach, where data is obtained through interviews, observations, and document studies. The results of the study show that although the Women and Children Service Unit has carried out various efforts in handling cases of sexual violence against children, there are a number of obstacles that hinder the effectiveness of handling cases. These obstacles include the lack of expert personnel, limited facilities, delays in the issuance of visum results, as well as social factors such as stigma and fear of the victim's family to report. In addition, the limited coordination between relevant institutions is also a challenge in the fast and effective law enforcement process. Based on the findings of this study, efforts are needed to improve in various aspects, including the addition of professionals, the provision of more adequate facilities, and education to the public to be more aware of the importance of reporting cases of sexual violence against children, so it is hoped that the Women and Children Protection Unit can be more optimal in carrying out its duties to protect children's rights and ensure justice for victims of sexual violence.