Waiting for Protection, Not Stigma

The joy of this junior high school student disappeared when she became a victim of sexual violence by one of the people closest to her.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Hand portrait of A (14), junior high school student suspected of being a victim of sexual violence, when met in Cirebon Regency, West Java. The victim experienced sexual violence allegedly by his own neighbor.

Bowing her head, A (14), identified by her initial, used her shoulder length hair to cover her puffy eyes. The joy of this junior high school student vanished when she became a victim of sexual violence at the hands of someone close to her.

It was difficult for the resident of Ciwaringin subdistrict, Cirebon regency, West Java, to talk. Most of the time, she held her stomach with her hands. "Stomach ache. The most painful was between 11 and 12 o’clock at night. I was unable to sleep, " A said on Wednesday (11/11/2020).