Jakarta, 12 May 2026 – Advocacy Team for Benhil Domestic Workers continued monitoring the tragic case of two domestic workers in Bendungan Hilir, Jakarta Pusat, which led to the death of one domestic worker and a serious injury to another after she jumped from the fourth floor. The case showed strong suspicion of exploitation, violence, and inhuman recruitment practices of young women.

Visit by the advocacy team to victims’ families in Batang, Central Java, revealed that victims went to Jakarta through informal agent without official document, without State’s supervision, and without clear recruitment process. The victims were children, whose age were then listed as 18 years old for the purpose of employment. The situation showed that there was serious issue in domestic worker recruitment, which opened the door for human trafficking, data manipulation, and child exploitation.

Paul Sanjaya said that the “Team had visited the victim D’s family and accepted a power of attorney, and it worked to help family get rehabilitation. Victim R, in the meantime, was under care, and JALA PRT accompanied to obtain the power of attorney. The team continued to do advocacy for the case, because it was a humanitarian duty to fight for justice. It expected that the case would not have to go to Restorative Justice. Should anyone or any party wish to force its will and pushed for Restorative Justice, the team would fight against it in collaboration with the Advocacy Team in Semarang. The team also explained that the victims’ family had the right for accompaniment and psychological rehabilitation. Yet, statement from the investigator(s) that there was no indication of physical and verbal violence was disappointing. The team believed that such statement should have never been made, because it ignored perpetrator’s acts. The team also cautioned that victims should not accept any promises, because the law dealt with that through restitution. Should there be money from the perpetrator, it would be a punishment, not a charity or contribution from perpetrator’s family.”
Like Paul Sanjaya, Sukmoaji from the Advocacy Team of Benhil Domestic Worker explained that “victims’ families did not receive anything. The family had not even received the remaining salary of (deceased) D. Hence, the family asked for justice for the loss of D’s life.”

The victim’s family also expressed that during her work the second family, victim was not allowed to go outside and her mobile phone was confiscated for three weeks. During the Muslim’s Eid Day, the victim had the opportunity to go home to her family and expressed her intention not to return to work, but her employer kept her clothes, mobile phones, and the rest of her salary forcing the victim to return to Jakarta. Hours before the incident, the victims had a chance to speak to her mother on her mobile phone, and afterwards the family received news that the victim died.

Ayu Rara thanked the village chief for the synergy in advocacy. Victim’s family provided information that “while working for the second family, the victim was not allowed to keep her mobile phone, and the perpetrator’s family confiscated the mobile phone for three weeks. At Eid, victim D went home, then returned to Jakarta to collect her mobile phone, clothes and remaining salary. After a few days, the victim’s mother received news that the victim died. This was a failure of the State to protect domestic workers.”
We also got information regarding progress and subsequent actions by the Witness and Victim Protection Office (LPSK) with regards to victims’ and victims’ families’ plea for protection as stated by the Office. The plea would be immediately dealt with so that victims did not have to face prolonged legal procedure and psychological pressures.

Meanwhile, Mr Siam Susanto as local village chief expressed his gratitude and asked the Advocacy Team to ensure that the case was resolved transparently. “Many people in Batang went to Jakarta to become domestic workers, and should this case went through court, using the Law on Domestic Workers, we expected that all our people would be protected when they worked as domestic workers.” “Every night, we kept watch in conjunction with the young people who needed guidance and assistance so that they understood what the case was about. The victim’s mother recovered slightly, but she cried often at night, and the father was very sad but expected that the case found justice.”

JALA PRT coordinator, Lita Anggraini stated that, “media’s role was critical so that the law moved in transparent and just manner, and that perpetrator was arrested, and brought to court, to highlight a deterrent effect against perpetrators. The mandate of the Law on Domestic Workers articulated the duty of local neighbourhood officials to monitor the citizens working in their area through meetings, data collection, and monitoring.” The Benhil case showed that data collection was also critical in place of origin through data collection and education, in order to prevent violence. Should a person not know who she would work for, then do not rush. Workers should know who their prospective employers are, where they are going to work. Should domestic workers not able to be contacted, families should contact the neighbourhood officials or the village chief in the areas where they worked. The case dealt by JALA PRT principally started from lack of communication,” said Lita.

Facts showed that the Benhil case was not simple a “tragedy”, because there was a strong power relation involved, limiting freedom, and exploitation in hidden domestic space. For this reason, we highlighted the slow move which law enforcement took to arrest perpetrator, ignoring the death of the victim, and the seriousness of the infringement of the right of women and children.

The Advocacy Team also believed it was important to look into possibility of intervention in the legal process through perpetrator family approach to victims’ family in Central Java. In many cases of violence against women workers, such approach was often used to weaken the legal process, to influence victims’ families’ testimonies, to promoting peaceful resolution which benefited the perpetrators. Such situation became increasing dangerous when the law enforcement officers did not act immediately to arrest perpetrators, because it opened space for pressures, negotiation, and tempering of facts about the violence which victims experienced.

For that reason, the case had to be considered serious crime against women workers and children, and not resolved through compromise or restorative justice.
The Benhil Advocacy Team for Domestic Workers Urged:

• The Jakarta Metropolitan Police to immediately arrest and start legal procedure against perpetrator in a transparent and assertive manner.
• Investigate informal network of worker agents who recruit and place victims without legal protection.

-The Witness Protection Agency immediately offered comprehensive protection to victims and families from intimidation and/or pressures from perpetrators.
-The Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, the Minister of Social Affairs, and Sub-National governments should provide supports – psychosocial rehabilitation and economic empowerment to victims’ families.

• Reject all forms of restorative justice in this case because it involved serious violence and child exploitation.
• The government should act immediately to ensure implementation of Law on Domestic Workers, including monitoring of recruitment and protection of domestic work.

Benhil case served as a reminder that to date, houses remained dangerous space for poor women workers. The State could not let domestic workers live in fear, isolation, and exploitation without protection.

Domestic workers were workers nonetheless. They had a right to a safe and dignified life, free of violence.

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