Cases of Domestic Violence in Indonesia Show a Decreasing Trend Over the Past Five Years

Based on the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) report titled *2023 Crime Statistics*, the trend of crimes against the person, namely domestic violence (KDRT), in Indonesia has been decreasing over the past five years.

The number of KDRT cases in Indonesia throughout 2022 reached 5,526 per year. This number is lower than the 2021 and 2020 periods, which recorded 7,435 and 8,104 cases, respectively.

Over the past five years, the highest number of KDRT cases in Indonesia occurred in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. The lowest number of KDRT cases during the same period occurred in 2021, as shown in the graph above.

The North Sumatra Regional Police (Polda) jurisdiction received the most KDRT reports in 2022, with 792 cases. This was followed by East Java and DKI Jakarta (Metro Jaya) with 725 and 476 KDRT cases, respectively.

Conversely, the West Sulawesi Regional Police (Polda) jurisdiction reported the fewest KDRT cases nationwide last year, with only 17 cases. This was followed by Bangka Belitung Islands and North Kalimantan with 23 and 24 KDRT cases, respectively.

The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA) emphasizes the importance of public sensitivity to families experiencing KDRT.

"When KDRT occurs, and there's a report, those around the child, those close to the family, must be sensitive," said Rini Handayani, Expert Staff for Institutional Relations at KemenPPPA, as reported by *Antara* on Monday (18/12/2023).

The ministry made this statement in response to the recent case of a father murdering his children in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta.

According to Rini, neighbors and close family members should be more sensitive to the risks faced by children who need help when KDRT occurs. Especially, she continued, children of KDRT victims cannot defend themselves.

Rini Handayani stated that public sensitivity must be built through various education and socialization efforts.

"To foster sensitivity, there must be Communication, Information, and Education (KIE), technical guidance, Family Learning Centers (Puspaga), and we must strengthen this through community organizations like PKK, religious organizations. This is what we must intensify," said Rini Handayani.

Previously, four children, VA (6), SP (4), AR (3), and AS (1), were found dead in a single room in a rented house in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (6/12/2023).

The case came to light after residents noticed a foul odor around the rented house where the perpetrator and his family lived.

The father of the four children, P, was subsequently named a suspect by the police for the murder of his children. In addition, P was also named a suspect in the KDRT case against his wife, D.