Sexual Harassment Crisis Grips Indonesian Campuses

Sexual harassment has reached crisis levels on Indonesian university campuses, extending beyond smaller institutions to those with significant reputations. The problem is so pervasive that it is no longer confined to specific regions but is occurring nationwide.

Recent incidents highlight the alarming frequency of these offenses. In early June 2026, 16 law students from Universitas Indonesia were found guilty in a "chat mesum" (lewd chat) case. Separately, a law student at Universitas Brawijaya in Malang, reportedly an accomplished student, is accused of sharing a victim's private photos on a Telegram group. In Yogyakarta, a student at Universitas Ahmad Dahlan faces allegations of sexually harassing two female students during a community service program.

The situation is particularly dire at Universitas Sumatera Utara, where the Sexual Violence Prevention and Handling Task Force (PPKS) has received 10 reports from victims of harassment by a student from the Faculty of Economics and Business. While these reports involve an estimated 66 victims, the majority of alleged harassment occurred via social media. Data from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection reveals a staggering 2,681 cases of sexual violence in higher education, with national surveys indicating that 77% of violence in higher education settings constitutes sexual harassment.