The Aceh Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) supports the plan of the Aceh People's Representative Council (DPRA) to revise Qanun Number 6 of 2014 concerning the Jinayat Law.

The revision in question is to revoke a number of articles related to cases of sexual abuse of children. According to a study by KontraS Aceh, several articles in the Qanun Jinayat are very weak in several aspects, including the type of punishment for perpetrators of violence and efforts to restore child victims.

Following up on this support, KontraS Aceh stated that it was ready to submit the results of a study on problems in the implementation of the Jinayat Qanun related to the handling of cases of sexual violence against children in Aceh so far.

"We will finish it soon," said KontraS Aceh Coordinator, Hendra Saputra, Friday (16/6/2021).

Previously, KontraS together with a number of civilian elements in Aceh had one voice in responding to the increasing number of cases of sexual violence in Aceh. The Aceh coalition has urged the DPRA to immediately revise the Qanun Jinayat, namely by revoking the article on Rape and Sexual Harassment, so that the fulfillment of the rights of victims in the judicial process can be pursued.

His side considered that these articles had not accommodated the interests of victims, such as in terms of proving cases, punishing perpetrators and recovering victims.

The urge to revise the qanun in Aceh is getting more and more intense, after the Aceh Syar'iyah Court acquitted the accused who was responsible for the rape of a child that occurred in Lhoknga, Aceh Besar some time ago.

"Violence against children is an emergency, firm efforts are needed to prevent this from happening again in the future, one of which is by returning the handling of cases of sexual violence against children by referring to the Child Protection Act," said Hendra. []