DistantNews
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Indonesia Sees Rise in Sexual Femicide Cases in 2025, Report Finds

From Tempo · (2h ago) Indonesian Critical tone

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Indonesian Legal Resource Center (ILRC) reported an increase in sexual femicide cases in 2025 compared to the previous year, with 20 cases recorded.
  • These cases are part of a larger trend of 61 femicide incidents monitored in 2025, with Lampung and North Sumatra provinces reporting the highest numbers.
  • The ILRC highlights that perpetrators are often close acquaintances of the victims, and recommends legal reforms to address sexual violence occurring even after a victim's death.

A recent report by The Indonesian Legal Resource Center (ILRC) casts a grim light on the escalating issue of sexual femicide within Indonesia. The ILRC's findings reveal a disturbing trend: a rise from 18 cases in 2024 to 20 documented instances in 2025. This figure, while alarming, represents only a portion of the 61 total femicide cases observed throughout 2025, underscoring the pervasive nature of violence against women in the country.

The report, titled “Anatomy of Sexual Femicide 2025: Beyond Death, Standardizing Control and Punishment of Women's Bodies,” details that these heinous crimes are not confined to urban centers but occur across diverse settings, from bustling cities to remote rural areas. Lampung province tragically leads with four cases, followed closely by North Sumatra with three. The victims, tragically, span a wide age range, from young girls to women in their mid-twenties, often targeted due to their vulnerability and lack of power within societal structures. Worryingly, the perpetrators are frequently individuals known to the victims – boyfriends, ex-partners, neighbors, or colleagues – highlighting a deeply disturbing pattern of violence within close social circles.

Sexual femicide is the intentional killing of women driven by gender motivation and containing elements of sexual violence, whether directly or symbolically.

— Siti Aminah TardiSiti Aminah Tardi, researcher and director of ILRC, defining sexual femicide.

Significantly, the ILRC points out that 60% of these femicides are preceded by sexual violence, with others stemming from rejection of sexual advances or even robbery. The report also notes a chilling post-mortem element in some cases, where sexual violence occurs after the victim's death. While Indonesia's Law on the Eradication of Sexual Violence (UU TPKS) strengthens penalties for sexual violence leading to death, the ILRC argues that the law currently falls short in addressing cases where sexual violence is inflicted posthumously. This gap in legal protection is a critical concern, demanding urgent attention and legislative reform to ensure comprehensive justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.

The victim profile shows that targets are not chosen randomly or accidentally, but because of their lack of bargaining power in the power structure.

— Siti Aminah TardiSiti Aminah Tardi explaining the vulnerability of victims in sexual femicide cases.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog