Imposition Of Criminal Sanctions On Parents As Perpetrators Of Violence Against Children

Abstract

Based on the report from the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection in 2022, there are still 21,241 children who have fallen victim to violence. The unfortunate circumstance arises when the perpetrator of this violence is the parent, the closest individual in the child's life. Consequently, this paper examines the imposition of criminal sanctions on parents proven to be engaging in violence against their children. This study adopts a normative juridical method with a legislative and conceptual approach. Although criminal sanctions are already stipulated in the Child Protection Law, there is a tendency for varied punishment, ranging from minimal to maximal. In the three instances of judicial decisions described in this paper, the imposed criminal sanctions already adhere to the provisions of the Child Protection Law. Unfortunately, however, these three examples have yet to apply the maximum criminal sanctions. This situation highlights the need for the government's commitment to revise the Child Protection Law seriously. This revision should emphasize the specification of maximum criminal sanctions without allowing room for minimal penalties. With robust regulations, it is anticipated that the elimination of child violence cases in Indonesia can be achieved, paving the way for their better growth and development.