Remarks of the President of the Republic of Indonesia on Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2016 on the Second Amendment of Law Number 23 of 2002 on Child Protection at the State Palace, Jakarta on 25 May 2016

Unofficial English Translation

Assalamu’alaikum warrahmatullahi wabarakaatuh,

Today, I signed the Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) number 1 of 2016 on the Second Amendment of Law Number 23 of 2002 on Child Protection. The Perppu aims to address the cases of child sexual violence that have been on the rise lately.

I declared that child sexual violence is an extraordinary crime because it is threatening and endangering the lives of children. It is a crime that harms the children’s lives and development, and also distrupts society’s comfort, tranquility, security, and order.

Extraordinary crime needs extraordinary measures. Therefore, the Perppu will stipulate agrravated punishment, additional punishment and other measures needed to be imposed to the perperators of the sexual violence according to certain conditions.

I would like to elaborate on the agrravated punishment. The agrravated punishment will be implemented by imposing a sentence with additional one-third prison time, death sentence, life sentence, or a minimum 10-year prison sentence and maximum 20-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, on the additional punishment, we can reveal the identity of the perpetrators to the public, chemically castrate the perpetrators, and install electronic detection devices on them. The amendment will provide more space for the judges to give severe sentence for the perpetrators of sexual offenses against children.

We hope the Perppu will create deterrent effect for the perperators and can prevent sexual violence against children which is considered as an extraordinary crime.

That is all I can say.

Thank You.

Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. (ES/Humas)(RAS/AW/YM/Naster)