JAKARTA. The government has vowed to push the House of Representatives to include the sexual violence bill in the national legislation program ( Prolegnas ) this year in a bid to stop sexual violence from escalating after the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Bengkulu.

The government is taking sexual violence seriously, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said on Monday. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has instructed the Cabinet to prioritize the issue.

"We will push to prioritize the bill in Prolegnas because it should be addressed as soon as possible with the House of Representatives," Pramono announced at the State Palace on Monday.

Langkah Strategis Menuju Kebangkitan Industri Tekstil Indonesia

One of the proposed punishments for perpetrators of sexual crimes is chemical castration.

The government is pushing for the House to include the bill in its next set of deliberation so that the formulation of the law, including the punishment, can be formulated soon, Pramono added.

The issue came in the spotlight following the gang rape and murder of a student in a remote village in Bengkulu in early April by 14 young men.

The case highlighted sexual violence against women and children and united members of the public in a solidarity act and push for better protection for women and children.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women ( Komnas Perempuan ) previously listed six forms of sexual violence that would be the basis of the bill. The forms are rape, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual control, sexual torture and sexually charged punishment.

Drafted at a time when violence against women and children is on the rise, the bill imposes harsher punishment on perpetrators of sexual violence. The bill stipulates a maximum prison sentence for sex-crime convicts. (Ayomi Amindoni)