Jakarta – Based on a report by the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) since 2020, the number of reports of cases of sexual violence has risen dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Komnas Perempuan Chairperson Andy Yentriyani said that since June 2021, Komnas Perempuan has received 2,592 reports of sexual violence.
"The number of reported cases has truly soured during the pandemic. If looked at from the latest data up until June there have already been 2,592 cases, meaning more that the total number of cases we received in 2020", said Yentriyani during a public hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Monday October 4.
As of early October meanwhile, according to the data which has come in, there were more than 4,200 complaints made with Komnas Perempuan.
"Meaning that during the pandemic, it was as was predicted, because the majority of cases are violence in the personnel realm, 60 percent of the data reported is in accordance with various studies on how Covid-19 has brought with it the additional impact of stress on families", she said.
In addition to this, according to Yentriyani, cases of sexual violence in the digital realm have also risen because online social interactions have increased during the pandemic.
According to Yentriyani, the majority of sexual violence cases in the digital realm were revenge porn – the distribution or sharing of improper pictures or videos online without the agreement of former partners.
"The most common was revenge porn sexual harassment and also sexual blackmail", she said.
Yentriyani said that there has not been an optimal response to the surge in reports of sexual violence. This is also related to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The capacity to respond is still very low and this is worsened by the pandemic situation. For example, many services have moved online, but the online infrastructure is uneven in many regions, and women's online access is also very limited", she said in conclusion. (dmi/DAL)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Komnas Perempuan: Kekerasan Seksual Meningkat Selama Pandemi".]
