COMMISSIONER of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), Veryanto Sitohang, stated that they are paying attention to the increasing number of femicide cases or murders of women occurring in Indonesia. Based on data from the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), from 2020 to 2023, there were a total of 798 femicide cases in Indonesia.
Veryanto believes that the bias of law enforcement officers in femicide cases is not very good. In fact, femicide is the peak of violence against women.
“The femicide cases are often considered ordinary crimes. In fact, they have a different dimension; the murder of women is the peak of violence against women,” he said in Bogor City, West Java, on Sunday, December 8, 2023.
He mentioned that femicide arises from violence directed at women. Therefore, he said, law enforcement officials and society must recognize femicide, including the methods used by the perpetrators.
“What are the characteristics of the modus operandi used in femicide should not be considered ordinary crimes. Femicide is an extraordinary crime and requires more serious handling so that this case is not taken lightly by the public,” he said.
Therefore, Veryanto said that the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) is making efforts to introduce femicide to the public and society, which is also an effort to protect the families of the victims left behind.
“Because femicide has the potential for revenge, I think it is important to anticipate it so that it can be prevented. This includes helping to rehabilitate the families of femicide victims,” he said.
He urged law enforcement officers to use the existing regulations. Although there are no regulations specifically about femicide yet, the perpetrators can be charged, for example, under the Criminal Code, the Domestic Violence Eradication Law, and sexual violence laws.
“Law enforcement officers should not view femicide cases as ordinary crimes. There must be an aggravating factor in this matter, because if considered an ordinary crime, the minimal legal penalties could potentially encourage people to commit femicide,” he said.
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