Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy for special protection of children at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Nahar has asked parents to supervise their children's educational environments.
"Parents should supervise the educational environment where their children go to school," he said when contacted on Wednesday. The effort is a form of anticipatory measure to prevent sexual violence in educational environments.
Nahar also asked parents to build good communication with their children so that children feel confident enough to tell them when they experience unpleasant incidents. "Parents are expected to build a close relationship with their children so that children get used to being honest and have the courage to tell their parents about the things that they experienced," he said.
Earlier, MS, 42, the head of a madrasah in Toraja, South Sulawesi, was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl student. The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection expressed deep regret over the incident.
Baca juga: Govt allocates Rp219 bln to support project partnerships in Nusantara
Baca juga: Technology supporting uniform, quality education
Nahar stressed that educators must provide guidance and protection to their students. If they misuse their role as educators, they must be given the harshest punishment, he said. The ministry is also encouraging law enforcement officials to impose heavier sanctions against MS.
"If proven guilty of rape, we are pushing for an increase in the prison sentence by one-third of the main sentence, given that the perpetrator is an educator," Nahar said. Currently, the suspect has been detained and the case is under investigation.