SBY orders more steps to protect children

JAKARTA. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered several steps to be taken to prevent more cases of violence against children.

"What we need now is real action, real communal action in our country based on the meeting that I just led. We have decided on several vital steps that are needed to really make some changes," Yudhoyono said at a press conference after holding a closed Cabinet meeting on Thursday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Recently, there have been a number of reports about child abuse in Indonesia, including a child abuse case at Jakarta International School (JIS) and a number of victims of child abuse
allegedly perpetrated by AS, alias Emon, in Sukabumi, West Java.

The first step described by the President was to raise more awareness and conduct educational programs for the general public about child abuse prevention and also the penalties for perpetrators.

He also emphasized the need for a quick response from all involved parties, especially from the government and the police, if a child is violated.

Furthermore, the government will pay close attention to the rehabilitation of victims, especially psychological rehabilitation to heal any traumas they have experienced.

Yudhoyono also acknowledged that more attention must be paid to regulations that protect children by imposing heavier penalties on perpetrators of child abuse.

Next week, the government will invite a variety of stakeholders in the child protection field, including child protection commissions, women's organizations, experts, teachers, businesspeople and the media to discuss the government's efforts.

"We will start as soon as possible since we do not need to wait for all parties to attend. We will start this month and next week I will invite the community to speak. This should not take too long as there must be a joint movement that emerges," Yudhoyono said. (fss)