The Witness and Victim Protection Coalition appreciates the approval of the Revision to Law on Witness and Victim Protection

“Victim’s rights improved: victim of gross violation of human rights, terrorism, human trafficking, abuse, sexual abuse, and severe torture may access medical, psychosocial, and psychological aid”

This noon the Draft Law on Revision to Law on Witness and Victim Protection finally approved as a Law by the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives. Previously this Draft Law has been rapidly discussed, starting from Working Committee I Meeting (JW Marriot, 28-30 August), Working Committee II (Salak, 5-7 September), Working Committee III (Nusantara II, 9-10 September). Working Committee IV (Monday, 15 September 2014). And the Working Committee’s final report (23 September 2014).

According to Supriyadi Widodo Eddyono, a member of the Coalition from Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), the witness protection coalition welcomes the decision result of the House of Representatives’ Plenary Session today that supports the agreed several changes to the law.

Supriyadi said that there are several significant improvements can be seen in the law. These improvements are as follows: Firstly, the giving of victim rights aid has been increasingly strengthened specifically the right of medical, psychosocial rehabilitation, and psychologicalaids. (Article 6). Psychosocial medical aid in this law can be accessed not only by victim of gross violation of human rights but also by other crime victims such as criminal act of terrorism, human trafficking, abuse victim, sexual abuse victim, and severe torture victim. “this is the most important stipulation for victim in Indonesia,” said Supriyadi. With this stipulation, the state is getting closer to giving the rights of crime victims.

The Second Improvement is the witness’s rights that getting more sufficient, as an example, by providing accompaniment for witness, protection for expert who gives statements and special protection for children who became a witness. Thirdly is the strengthening of the Witness and Victim Protection Institution (LPSK) that has become sufficient and of course useful for implementing LPSK’s duties ahead.

However the Coalition still see several weaknesses in the substance of the Draft Law, specifically regarding the stipulation on protection for Whistleblower and Justice Collaborator in article 10 of the Law. The Coalition sees the definition of Whistleblower or Reporting Party is incomplete. Regarding these two issues the Coalition assesses there are still many interpreting challenges ahead.

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