Abandoned by mother working abroad, child in Lampung raped by father and biological grandfather

A child of a migrant worker in Lampung became a victim of sexual violence perpetrated by his biological father and grandfather.

Misery is not only experienced by a number of migrant workers when trying their luck in foreign countries. Children left in their home country are also vulnerable to becoming victims of sexual violence perpetrated by those closest to them.

As experienced by A (15), a teenage girl from South Lampung Regency, Lampung. He became a victim of sexual violence perpetrated by SH (44), his biological father, and AM (64), his grandfather.

Head of Police South Lampung Assistant Commissioner of Police Yusriandi Yusrin revealed that, from the results of the police investigation, the two perpetrators had committed this heinous act since January 2024. So far, the victim did not dare to report it because he was threatened with death by his father and grandfather.

Since being left by his mother to work overseas, the victim has been living together with his father, grandfather, and a younger sibling. His mother left for Singapore in 2023 to improve the family's economic situation.

Currently, both perpetrators have been detained since Friday (12/4/2024) for further investigation. They could face heavy punishment under Article 81 Paragraph (3) of Law Number 17 of 2016 regarding the Appointment of Government Regulation in place of Law Number 1 of 2016 concerning the Second Amendment to Law No. 23/2022 on Child Protection.

The Head of the Technical Implementation Unit for Protection of Women and Children in South Lampung's Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Agency, Acam Suyana said that the victims are currently receiving assistance from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection. The victims have been taken to Bogor, West Java, for more intensive health check-ups.

Furthermore, the victims will also stay in a safe house during the recovery of their physical and psychological condition. The government will also provide educational services to the victims.

According to Acam, the victim was taken out of the city so that they could receive comprehensive assistance from the government. In Lampung, the victim also did not have close family members who could accompany them. The father and grandfather have been arrested by the police, while the mother still has to work overseas.

"We hope that the victims can quickly recover from trauma and continue their education for their future," said Acam when contacted from Bandar Lampung on Saturday (20/4/2024).

Based on data from the Department of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection in Lampung, throughout February 2024, there were 62 reported cases of violence against children and women in Lampung. Of that number, 50 percent of the reports were cases of sexual violence. The majority of the victims were children aged 6-17 years old.

According to the Head of the UPTD for Protection of Women and Children at the Lampung PPPA Service, Ria Meylanie, children whose parents are migrant workers are vulnerable to becoming victims of violence. His party has handled several cases of sexual violence that befell children of migrant workers.

ISMAIL ZAKARIA

Bariah (50) and Rustim (60) are accompanying their grandchild, Farizi (2), in Dusun Mungkik, Pandan Wangi Village, Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday (3/3/2021). The couple are currently taking care of four grandchildren, each of whom their respective parents are migrant workers.

Apart from being victims of rape by close family members, children of migrant workers are also vulnerable to becoming victims of human trafficking. In another case, Ria mentioned accompanying a child who became a victim of human trafficking by their own biological father.

Most of the victims were children aged 6-17 years.

Until now, there is no specific data detailing the number of violence cases experienced by children of migrant workers. Local governments have been attempting to provide assistance to the victims. Education on preventing violence and sexual violence in communities is also continuously conducted as a preventative measure.

Also read: Efforts to Ensure the Welfare of Children of Migrant Workers

PMI Pocket

Until now, Lampung has been one of the pockets of migrant workers. Based on data from the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency in Lampung, during the first quarter of 2024, it was recorded that 550 migrant workers from Lampung were dispatched abroad. Of that number, 315 were male and 235 were female.

Regarding the case, Handi Mulyaningsih, a lecturer in the Sociology Department at Lampung University, believes that the sexual violence case involving migrant worker's children reflects the situation of poor families in Indonesia where the mother has to work overseas.

KOMPAS/VINA OKTAVIA

A police line was installed at a house in the Rajabasa district of Bandar Lampung, which became a shelter for illegal migrant workers, on Friday (9/6/2023). The house is known to belong to one of the middle-ranking officers of the Indonesian National Police.

The bad situation faced by children of migrant workers, especially when both parents or only the mother works as overseas workers, is concerning. When only the mother departs, the father often delegates the care of the children to grandparents or entrusted to the nearest family members such as older siblings or aunts/uncles. In this case, the father who should be caring for their children actually becomes a perpetrator of sexual violence.

He argues that the revelation of the sexual violence cases should urge the local government to make more massive efforts to prevent such incidents from happening again. Local governments need to identify families where parents are migrant workers.

The family needs support as the children who are left behind are vulnerable to becoming victims of violence and sexual abuse. "Migrant worker families need to be a protected target so that their children do not become victims of violence," he said.

Also read: The fate of children of migrant workers is still neglected