Jakarta (Pendis) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) is preparing regulations to prevent and overcome sexual violence in religious education institutions. The Regulation of the Minister of Religious Affairs (PMA) has entered the stage of harmonisation interrelated ministries or institutions.

"Alhamdulillah, the PMA draft for preventing sexual violence at Religious Education Institutions is still in progress, it has entered the stage of harmonisation interrelated ministries/institutions," said Director of Diniyah Education and Islamic Boarding School, Waryono Abdul Ghofur in Jakarta, Saturday (2/7/2022).

"This regulation will become the basis for all parties, including the government, educational institutions administrators, and the community, to be truly active involved in preventing and overcoming sexual violence in religious educational institutions," he continued.

"According to the legal corridor, every criminal actor must be prosecuted and processed legally according to applicable regulations, including perpetrators of sexual violence in religious education institutions," he stressed.

"Recurring incidents that have recently occurred in religious educational institutions must be the concern of all parties so that in the future it does not happen again," he said.

Waryono invites parents to actively communicate with their children who are studying in religious education institutions, especially the ones who are outside their city. Religious education institutions must be more open to various events in their surroundings, especially those related to sexual crimes.

"Communication between children and parents needs to be built effectively. Educational institutions do not need to prohibit parents from communicating with their children or vice versa," said Waryono.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs will focus on protecting victims of sexual violence in religious education institutions. They will provide strict sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence in religious education institutions.

"Sanctions will be given according to the provisions, of course seeing the progress of the investigation results from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the authorities," he said.

"We are also coordinating intensively with section heads, both at the provincial MoRA regional offices and regency/city MoRA offices to facilitate all students who become victims so that they can continue their education in their regions," he said.