Domestic Violence Remains a Leading Cause of Divorce in Indonesia: Current Trends

Domestic violence (KDRT) is one of the leading causes of divorce in Indonesia. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the divorce rate due to domestic violence remains high, although it has fluctuated over the past six years.

In 2023, there were 5,174 recorded cases of couples divorcing due to domestic violence. This represents a 4.06% increase compared to 2022, which saw 4,972 cases.

The trend shows that the number of divorce cases due to domestic violence in Indonesia reached its peak in 2018, with 8,764 cases.

This number then drastically decreased to 3,271 cases during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. There is no clear explanation for this decrease, such as whether it reflects a genuine reduction in domestic violence incidents or underreporting due to pandemic-related restrictions on activity.

After 2020, the number of cases has consistently surged over the past three years.

By province, in 2023, the highest number of divorces due to domestic violence occurred in East Java, with 1,636 cases. This was followed by West Java and Southeast Sulawesi with 442 and 333 cases respectively.

Furthermore, a recent case of domestic violence involving the social media influencer Cut Intan Nabila and her husband, Armor Toreador, has come to light.

The case gained widespread attention after the victim revealed it in a post on her Instagram account on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. Intan stated that her husband had been violent towards her since 2020.

In addition to domestic violence, the mother of three also alleged that her husband had engaged in multiple affairs during their five-year marriage.

“Imagine, for four years, the mother and her children swallowed threats that put their lives at risk,” said Jasra Putra, a commissioner at the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), as reported by *Kompas.com* on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

He believes that conflicts within families are often difficult to intervene in because they occur in the private sphere, making them hard to access.

Jasra emphasized the importance of state affirmation in situations where families are threatened by domestic violence, as this issue can affect anyone.

“Therefore, it is crucial for us to sit down again and discuss how to strengthen families and child-rearing, to prevent these issues from escalating and having increasingly negative consequences in the future,” said Jasra.