INDONESIA
The Jakarta Post
July 16, 2020
By Budi Sutrisno
A recent case of child sexual abuse at a Catholic church in Depok, West Java, sheds light on the flaws and complexity of Indonesia’s criminal law, which has hampered the victims’ quest for justice for a crime reportedly committed over a period of 18 years.
Only three of at least 21 altar boys allegedly molested by 42-year-old church caretaker Syahril Parlindungan Marbun since 2002 have filed legal reports, and the Depok Police say they cannot “process” one of those reports because of a “lack of evidence”.
Police said they considered that claimant just as a witness rather than a victim in the case because the alleged crime happened 12 years ago, so police could not make a physical forensics report.
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