INDONESIA: PRESIDENT WIDODO APPROVES NEW LAW ALLOWING DEATH PENALTY FOR CHILD RAPISTS

Indonesian President Joko Widodo approved a law prescribing the death penalty as the maximum sentence for child rapists, after several brutal gang rapes sparked public outrage.
Widodo said those responsible for sexual abuse of children, as well as repeat sex offenders, could also face chemical castration and be tagged with an electronic chip to track their movements, citing the law he signed.
“Sexual violence against children is an extraordinary crime,” Widodo told a news conference at the presidential palace. “This regulation is meant to overcome (such) incidents, in which we have seen a significant rise.”
Data on the number of child sex abuse cases was not immediately available. Rights activists warned against the decision to permit capital punishment and the use of chemical castration, however.
“In most cases the perpetrators know the victims, and these punishments are so severe that it may discourage victims from reporting the rapes,” said Andreas Harsono of New York-based Human Rights Watch. “On their own, these punishments don’t address the need to protect children through a well-functioning welfare system.”