22 people members of the Service Network for Women and Children Victims of Violence in Sukoharjo (JLPAK2S) – from Yayasan KAKAK, YAPHI, SPEK-HAM, LKBHI, MHH Aisyiyah, Muslimat NU, Peradi, and Sehati, and observers of women and children had a hearing with the vice district administrator in Sukoharjo, Eko Sapto Purnomo at Meeting Room of the latter on Thursday (2/9).

Eko Sapto Purnomo said that the meeting was a follo-up of prior meeting on 7 July 2025 that directed the network/forum to prepare a policy paper or strategic document and to prepare data-based analysis and recommendations.

As stated by the representative of the network, Haryati Panca Putri, their primary concern was triggered by the high number of violence cases (170 cases) in Sukoharjo between 2021 and 2023. In 2024, the number increased to 116 cases (70 children, 46 women) and the high number of child marriage in the last five years (727 cases).

What the district government of Sukoharjo had done was to set up UPTD PPA, although it was not yet an inter-sector establishment but an inter-district office agency establishment. And victims still found it difficult to get an expert examination, and no safe houses. There were also many cases that often ended up in out-of-court settlements that ignored victims’ rights. This happened despite the fact that the impacts of violence were not only physical in nature, but also psychological, such as trauma, depression, and social isolation. Victims also had risks of sexually-transmitted disease infections, HIV, and unwanted pregnancy, while the victims’ education and economic rights were also ignored.

The lack of inter-sector coordination (health, education, social, and law enforcement) was a challenge on its own, as well as the minimum human resources and budget available, and the lack of awareness in communities that made so many cases go unreported. The other critical issue was that protection given to the victims was not in conformity with the ethics when data about victims was made public.

Policy-wise, there were already many regulations – laws, presidential regulations, and district regulations including District Regulation No. 12 Year 2020 on Child-Friendly District.

Based on analysis, therefore, there were a number of findings that in Sukoharjo District, there were already legal commitments, unfortunately however, the implementation remained weak, and services were not holistic, or in other words, the integrated referral mechanism was not working, and the Child-Friendly Regulation focused more on administrative assessment, while UPTD PPA lacked the necessary human resources, infrastructure, and perspective on victims.

The key points from the above pointed to a number of recommendations: 1. Establish Integrated Services Forum for Women and Children victims of Sexual Violence in (FPT PAK2S), 2. Involve the District Offices, public hospitals, Community Health Centres, NGOs, Legal Aid Organisations, law enforcement agencies, and civil societies in a collaborative and integrated manner, and reinforced by an MoU and Decision Letter by the district administrator, and finally legal, medical, psychological, spiritual services, education rehabilitation, safe houses, and economic and social re-integration services.

After the presentation, the vice district administrator, Eko Sapto Purnomo, accompanied by the chief of UPTD PPA, Daryani then answered that his side wanted strategic document to be prepared so that there would be clear reference, where the direction would be, in order to address the key issue – to reduce the number of violence cases and their impacts in order to avoid increasing numbers. The aim was to ensure that victims received the best services including recovery. Ia juga perlu kesempatan untuk menelaah, mempelajari dan memberikan masukan supaya pengambil kebijakan (bupati) bisa memahami. He expected that this could be an entry point to more structured policies as common awareness had been established so the key issue was how to integrate it.

With regards to the Task Force to Protect from Violence, he acknowledged that it necessitated inter-sector coordination. This included participations of structures at village and sub-district levels, as well as other existing stakeholders.

Finally, Eko Sapto Purnomo thanked the members of the network for their consistent attention to protecting children from violence in Sukoharjo. (Ast)