Indonesia’s sexual violence bill comes as universities grapple with wave of campus harassment
- In March, a court threw out a case involving a university dean who was accused of sexually assaulting a student last October
- Legal scholars say if the case had been heard after the new law came into force on April 12, the outcome may have been different
On March 30, a court in Pekanbaru threw out the case involving Syafri Harto, dean of Universitas Riau’s (UNRI) political science department, who had been accused of sexually assaulting a student last October.
The student said Harto had kissed her on the cheek, touched her shoulder, then tried to kiss her on the lips. He also allegedly said he loved her, after which she pushed him away and fled his office.
The three judges hearing the case were all male. They said there was no conclusive evidence that Harto had committed a crime.
Rian Sibarani, a human-rights lawyer who works for the Legal Aid Institute in Pekanbaru and who supported the female student in pursuing the case, said the judges maintained the complainant “had not been hit or forced into sexual activity”.