Referral Service for Domestic Violence Cases at the Women and Child Service Unit in Police Institution in Jakarta: Strengthening Police Investigator through Manual Guidance on Handling Domestic Violence Cases

Since 2007, Rutgers WPF Indonesia works to prevent gender based violence, with national and local partners, which resulted with the Prevention+ program established in 2016. Prevention+ works at the individual, community, civil society and institutional levels. The core of this five-years program is to prioritize the needs and safety of survivors of violence, without exception, including victim of domestic violence. The police is a crucial partner in this endeavor, especially UPPA (Women and Children Service Unit).
Since the government of Indonesia issued the Law No. 23/2004 on the Elimination of Domestic Violence, the number of domestic violence cases reported at UPPA increased each year. Data from National Commission on Violence against Women (NCVAW) in 2017 shows that 13.348 reported by in UPPA. Despite being enacted for 14 years, Indonesia has not operationalized the law into practical and technical steps for those at the frontline of enforcing Law No. 23/2004.
The system has limited number of referrals case with lack of adequate standard quality of shelters and referral institutions. In addition to that, an interview with police officer at WCSU revealed that the qualifications of investigator and case management lacks standardization, e.g. profound sensibility to GBV. Through the Prevention+ Program, a referral system for the victim and the perpetrator is prioritized. The referral institutions include hospitals for example and most importantly shelters. P+ facilitated the publication of Police-based Manual and SOP to handle Domestic Violence in Jakarta. This SOP also become the first SOP to address GBV from the root cause, namely the perpetrator. Rutgers WPF Indonesia has trained 75 police officers to be the referral counselor in handling domestic violence cases.
This workshop will explain the advocacy process towards the Police’s endorsement of the Manual and SOPs that has incorporated many safety procedures for women; the workshop will also highlight the importance of having proper and step by step guidelines for the police. Challenges and opportunities will be discussed and a debate will be started on what a SOP needs to consist of to make them as effective as possible.
The system has limited number of referrals case with lack of adequate standard quality of shelters and referral institutions. In addition to that, an interview with police officer at WCSU revealed that the qualifications of investigator and case management lacks standardization, e.g. profound sensibility to GBV. Through the Prevention+ Program, a referral system for the victim and the perpetrator is prioritized. The referral institutions include hospitals for example and most importantly shelters. P+ facilitated the publication of Police-based Manual and SOP to handle Domestic Violence in Jakarta. This SOP also become the first SOP to address GBV from the root cause, namely the perpetrator. Rutgers WPF Indonesia has trained 75 police officers to be the referral counselor in handling domestic violence cases.

This workshop will explain the advocacy process towards the Police’s endorsement of the Manual and SOPs that has incorporated many safety procedures for women; the workshop will also highlight the importance of having proper and step by step guidelines for the police. Challenges and opportunities will be discussed and a debate will be started on what a SOP needs to consist of to make them as effective as possible.