Implementation of Restorative Justice in Handling Cases of Human Trafficking Crimes Involving Children and Women Based on The Values of Justice

Abstract

The crime of human trafficking targeting highly vulnerable groups, namely children and women, is an extraordinary crime that directly degrades human dignity and robs victims of their future. Thus far, the traditional criminal justice system has tended to focus solely on imposing imprisonment on perpetrators while often neglecting the restoration of the victims' fundamental rights that have been destroyed. The multiple layers of suffering experienced by women and child victims of this crime, in reality, never truly end even if the perpetrators have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Deep psychological trauma, financial losses, and the social stigma attached to survivors require a legal approach that places greater emphasis on humanity and is fully centered on the victims' recovery. This study aims to analyze comprehensively and formulate the implementation of restorative justice based on the values of substantive justice in handling human trafficking cases in Indonesia. This study employs a library-based legal research method, or normative juridical research. The primary legal materials examined include Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of the Crime of Human Trafficking, Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Amendments to the Child Protection Law, Law Number 31 of 2014 concerning the Protection of Witnesses and Victims, Police Regulation Number 8 of 2021, and Prosecutor's Regulation Number 15 of 2020. The findings of this study indicate the urgent need for a comprehensive dismantling and restructuring of the criminal justice legal framework. These reforms include the obligation for law enforcement officers to confiscate the perpetrator's assets from the first day of investigation, the establishment of a special state-owned contingency fund for victim recovery, and the absolute strengthening of the authority of witness protection institutions. In conclusion, restorative justice must be understood as the highest manifestation of the state's Implementation of Restorative Justice... (Rezka Dwi Prasetyo) The copyright of this document is owned by Faculty of Law UNISSULA and is protected by the law ║ 1233 FACULTY OF LAW PROCEEDING OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE LAW DEVELOPMENT FOR PUBLIC WELFARE ISSN: 2798-9313 LICS 2026 Topic: Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Combating Human Trafficking and Enhancing Protection of Women and Children presence in ensuring the restoration of the physical well-being, psychological condition, and social reintegration of women and children.