Jakarta (September 27, 2024) - Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf will strengthen partnerships between institutions in handling cases of child abuse. This statement was made by the Minister of Social Affairs, who is familiarly called Gus Ipul, when he received the Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Institute (LPAI) Seto Mulyadi or Kak Seto at the Ministry of Social Affairs Office, Salemba Raya Street 28 Jakarta, Friday (27/09/2024).

“Partnership is very important in child protection in general, it requires mutual attention,” he said. Through various policies and regulations, the government makes every effort to create a safe environment for children and provide access to social rehabilitation services for children who need recovery.

Gus said that violence against children, especially sexual violence, is like an iceberg phenomenon. Many cases of child abuse remain unreported because negative stigma is still attached to child victims. In 2023, the Ministry of Social Affairs through the Directorate of Child Social Rehabilitation and Centers spread across 31 points in Indonesia has handled 2,304 cases of sexual violence against children.

The high level of violence against children is a complex issue that cannot be done alone. It takes cooperation between institutions so that cases of child abuse can be handled properly. Therefore, Gus received good cooperation between the Ministry of Social Affairs and LPAI.

“LPAI has a history from the Ministry of Social Affairs,” said Kak Seto while explaining the formation of LPAI through a Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs issued in 1997.

As a community-owned organization, LPAI is active in preventing cases of child abuse and assisting children who are victims of violence in the recovery period.

The Ministry of Social Affairs tries to be proactive by scanning the media or monitoring to find cases of child abuse or information about children who need help. These cases are then responded to, so that child victims can get the help they need.