Child-Centered Justice in Domestic Sexual Violence Cases: A Doctrinal Analysis of Supreme Court Decision No. 243 K/Pid.Sus/2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47353/lawpass.v3i3.122Keywords:
child sexual violence, child-centered justice, victim protection, sentencing, domestic violence, Supreme Court Decision No. 243 K/Pid.Sus/2020Abstract
Child sexual violence within the family presents a distinctive legal problem because the perpetrator may simultaneously occupy a position of trust, authority, and domestic power. This article examines Supreme Court Decision No. 243 K/Pid.Sus/2020 concerning sexual violence committed by a stepfather against his stepdaughter. The study uses doctrinal legal research with statutory, case, conceptual, and analytical approaches. Primary legal materials consist of the Supreme Court decision and relevant Indonesian legislation, while secondary materials include peer-reviewed scholarship on child sexual abuse, victimology, sentencing, and victim-centered justice. The analysis finds that the case demonstrates the importance of treating the child not merely as evidence in criminal proceedings but as a rights-bearing victim whose safety, dignity, recovery, and participation must inform judicial reasoning. The twelve-year imprisonment imposed in the case reflects recognition of the seriousness of repeated sexual violence within a domestic relationship. However, punishment alone does not exhaust the state's protection obligation. The contemporary legal framework, particularly the Child Protection Law and Law No. 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes, requires a broader response encompassing confidentiality, psychosocial recovery, restitution, procedural protection, and prevention of secondary victimization. The article proposes a child-centered sentencing framework that connects accountability with victim recovery and institutional coordination.
References
Annisa, S. F. (2020). Children as victims of sexual abuse: Has the law provided enough justice? The Indonesian Journal of International Clinical Legal Education, 2(4), 435–448. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijicle.v2i4.43169
Aryanti, M., & Suparno, S. (2024). Uncertainty of law regarding restitution as legal protection for child victims of sexual violence. Cerdika: Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 4(12), 1045–1053. https://doi.org/10.59141/cerdika.v4i12.2319
Cross, T. P., Ernberg, E., & Walsh, W. A. (2022). The criminal justice response to child and youth victimization. In R. Geffner et al. (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal violence and abuse across the lifespan. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89999-2_295
Hairi, P. J., & Latifah, M. (2023). Implementasi Undang-Undang Nomor 12 Tahun 2022 tentang Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Seksual. Negara Hukum: Membangun Hukum untuk Keadilan dan Kesejahteraan, 14(2), 163–180. https://doi.org/10.22212/jnh.v14i2.4108
Ilyasa, R. M. A. (2021). Legal and victimological perspective on sexual violence against children cases in Indonesia. The Indonesian Journal of International Clinical Legal Education, 3(3), 281–300. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijicle.v3i3.48269
Jeumpa, I. K., Mukhlis, Faradiz, N. A., Fitri, R. A., & Farid, M. (2026). The qualitative socio-legal case study using a restorative justice framework to explore child sexual abuse case settlements in Aceh, Indonesia. Juvenile & Family Court Journal, 00, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.70028
Kääriäinen, J., et al. (2022). Regional variation in sentences for child sexual abuse: An empirical study with Finnish court data. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 71, 100565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlcj.2022.100565
Lewis, T., Klettke, B., & Day, A. (2014). Sentencing in child sexual assault cases: Factors influencing judicial decision-making. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 20(3), 281–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2013.804603
Mahkamah Agung Republik Indonesia. (2020). Putusan Nomor 243 K/Pid.Sus/2020.
McLachlan, K. J. (2024). Trauma-informed sentencing: How South Australian sentencing judges use information about defendants' child sexual abuse victimization and subsequent trauma. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 33(4), 485–506. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2023.2219674
Octaviana, S. N. (2019). Child sexual abuse in Indonesia: History and challenge in legal perspective. Indonesian Journal of Criminal Law Studies, 4(1), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijcls.v4i1.36295
Puspitasari, C. H., & Efendi, J. (2024). Implementation of legal protection against child rape victims in the family environment: Study at UPTD PPA Sidoarjo District. De Recht: Journal of Police and Law Enforcement, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.55499/derecht.v2i1.213
Raine, S., & Kent, S. A. (2019). The grooming of children for sexual abuse in religious settings: Unique characteristics and select case studies. Aggression and Violent Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2019.08.017
Ramadianto, A. R., Istiqomah, M., & Aprilianda, N. (2025). Victim Impact Statement as a model of victim-centered justice in child sexual abuse cases. Jurnal Hukum IUS QUIA IUSTUM, 32(2), 337–360. https://doi.org/10.20885/iustum.vol32.iss2.art4
Rumble, L., Febrianto, R. F., Larasati, M. N., Hamilton, C., Mathews, B., & Dunne, M. P. (2020). Childhood sexual violence in Indonesia: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 21(2), 284–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838018767932
Setyawan, C. Z. D., & Setiawati, D. (2023). Strengthening legal protections for child victims of sexual violence in Indonesia. Borobudur Law Review, 5(2), 98–111. https://doi.org/10.31603/burrev.10696
Sualang, M., Soekorini, N., & Borman, S. (2026). Handling victims of sexual violence against children in the criminal justice system in Indonesia. Rechtsvinding, 4(1), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.59525/rechtsvinding.1338
Suharto, A., & Widyaningrum, T. (2024). Equality of legal protection for children vis-à-vis the law in cases of sexual intercourse and abuse in the perspective of child protection law. Cerdika: Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 4(1), 39–54. https://doi.org/10.59141/cerdika.v4i1.741
Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945.
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana.
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 12 Tahun 2022 tentang Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Seksual.
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 17 Tahun 2016 tentang Penetapan Peraturan Pemerintah Pengganti Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2016 tentang Perubahan Kedua atas Undang-Undang Nomor 23 Tahun 2002 tentang Perlindungan Anak Menjadi Undang-Undang.
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 23 Tahun 2004 tentang Penghapusan Kekerasan dalam Rumah Tangga.
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 35 Tahun 2014 tentang Perubahan atas Undang-Undang Nomor 23 Tahun 2002 tentang Perlindungan Anak.
Utari, I. S., Kamal, U., Ramada, D. P., Sumardiana, B., & Nunna, B. P. (2026). Legal protection for child sexual violence victims: Victimology perspectives, challenges, and policy solutions in Asia. Jurnal Suara Hukum, 8(1), 40–77. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsh.v8n1.p40-77
Wekerle, C. W., Kim, K. K., & Wong, N. (2022). Child sexual abuse victimization: Focus on self-compassion. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 818774. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.818774
Wismayanti, Y. F., O'Leary, P., Tilbury, C., & Tjoe, Y. (2019). Child sexual abuse in Indonesia: A systematic review of literature, law and policy. Child Abuse & Neglect, 95, 104034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104034
Wismayanti, Y. F., O'Leary, P., Tilbury, C., & Tjoe, Y. (2021). The problematization of child sexual abuse in policy and law: The Indonesian example. Child Abuse & Neglect, 118, 105157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105157
Yusyanti, D. (2020). Perlindungan hukum terhadap anak korban dari pelaku tindak pidana kekerasan seksual. Jurnal Penelitian Hukum De Jure, 20(4), 619–636.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Widodo Ramadhana, Yohana Ayu Sartika Telaumbanua, Barryl Wilfred Joshua Rohtuahdo Purba, Ananda Safron
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not grant all permissions required for your intended use. Other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may apply.
