Indonesia calls for tougher sentences in child abuses as cases rise

The judiciary of Indonesia was slammed by right groups when a 10-year jail term was sentenced to a 37 year old Christian priest Benyamin Sitepu, the principal of Galilea Hosana School in Medan, who was accused of sexually assaulting six students under his care.

The families were disappointed with the verdict by the Medan District Court as Sitepu did not receive the maximum sentence as he was given a lighter sentence since he had already apologised for his actions and signed a settlement deal with the families of two of the victims.

A human rights lawyer in Medan who represented the victims said, “If people commit crimes under the banner of the church, then the church needs to apologise,” while calling for religious organisations to take more responsibility for crimes that occur in the institutions in which they operate.

He believes that courts in Indonesia are unwilling to…