REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here on Thursday chaired a limited cabinet meeting to discuss efforts to intensify child protection, following increased violence against children over the past few years.
The president stated that child protection measures must be strengthened to prevent sexual assaults and violence against children, whose future will affect the future of the nation.
The government will ask every stakeholder to ensure that sexual abuse, assaults and violence against children does not recur, he said.
The meeting was attended by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Ameliasari Gumelar, Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi, National Police Chief General Sutarman, Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi and Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam.
Minister Linda Amalia had called for the strictest punishment for perpetrators of child sexual violence to deter such acts from being committed.
"I hope that the strictest punishment is meted out to the perpetrators of child sexual abuse," Linda said after attending an anti-violence campaign to protect children in Jakarta, recently.
She said the punishment given to the perpetrators of violence so far was lenient. "The punishment is too lenient and it does not have a deterrent effect, so that the same crimes continue to be repeated."
The minister expressed hope that the punishment for sexual violence will be increased in the amendment of the book on criminal procedures (KUHAP).
"The punishment for sexual crimes on children by adults should be increased to a minimum of 20 years in jail and a maximum of life sentence," she said.
Linda added that imposing a strict punishment on child sexual abusers will likely minimize the repetition of the same crimes in the future.
On the occasion, Linda expressed her concern regarding the sexual abuse case of a kindergarten student at the Jakarta International School (JIS).
"I strongly condemn the incident, which should not be tolerated. I call on law enforcers to comprehensively close the case so that it will be a deterrent to other probable abusers," she said.
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