Responding to a question in his confirmation hearings about whether the death penalty should be applied to rapists, Indonesian Supreme Court candidate Daming Sanusi reportedly said, “Consideration needs to be taken thoroughly for the imposition of death penalty for a rapist because in a rape case both the rapist and the victim enjoy it.”
This did not go over well with women in the predominantly Muslim country. More: CNN.com.
In response, Jakarta Post Managing Editor Primastuti Handayani wrote an incendiary op-ed:
Daming is not the only one making public statements blaming the victims of rape. We still remember former Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo’s remark when, last year, he advised women against wearing “provocative clothes” while using public transportation in order to avoid being raped. He made his statement after several gang rape cases on public minivans, including the rape of a Binus University student who was subsequently killed.
Fauzi then publicly apologized after his statement went viral and people condemned him.
Social media has helped society to become more aware of the irregularities occurring around them. Public pressure can often be conveyed more effectively through the media rather than channeling our voices through our representatives at the House in Senayan.
