April 14, 2026 | 08:03 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission X, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, is urging the University of Indonesia (UI) to transparently handle the alleged sexual harassment case involving 16 students from the Faculty of Law. According to Lalu, the discovery of harassment through sexually explicit conversations highlights the weak implementation of the Education Ministerial Regulation No. 55 of 2024 concerning the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Higher Education Institutions.
The National Awakening Party politician is also pressing UI to comply with the regulation. "So that there is a deterrent effect. Strict sanctions must certainly be imposed," said Lalu Adrian at the DPR Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Lalu stated that this incident should serve as a lesson for education stakeholders to prevent such cases from recurring. He noted that the event sparked public outrage given UI's reputation. Therefore, he is calling on the UI academic community to resolve this matter to restore campus security. Without protection from violence, Lalu argued, the campus will not be a suitable place for the next generation to pursue education.
"We hope that UI and other universities are truly preventive, ensuring a sense of safety and comfort for all students to pursue their studies on these campuses," he said.
Lalu revealed that DPR Commission X plans to summon the UI rector and several other university leaders to determine their commitment to eradicating violence, including sexual violence. He emphasized that Commission X is committed to overseeing the handling of this specific case.
The Chairperson of the Student Executive Board of the Faculty of Law, Anandaku Dimas Rumi Chattaristo, confirmed the alleged sexual violence involving 16 student perpetrators. "There has been an act of sexual violence involving students of the Faculty of Law, UI, as the perpetrators," said Dimas when contacted on Monday, April 13, 2026.
He explained that initial information surfaced after the alleged perpetrators sent an apology through their year group chat. From there, sexually explicit conversations discussing female students and lecturers within their internal group were revealed and then circulated on social media.
The harassment by the 16 students took verbal and digital forms. Dimas stated there are no indications that photos of the victims were spread. However, he noted that more findings may emerge as the investigation progresses.
Dimas mentioned that the 16 alleged perpetrators have been dismissed from student organizations and campus committees. Their removal is a sanction imposed by the student body.
After screenshots of the conversations spread on social media, students and the Faculty of Law held a forum on Monday night. The gathering, aimed at addressing the crisis, was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Parulian Paidi Aritonang, and hundreds of students.
The Chairperson of the UI Student Executive Board (BEM UI), Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan, urged the campus to expel them. "The Faculty of Law students demand that the 16 perpetrators be expelled," said Yatalathof at the forum held at the Djokosoetono Auditorium on Monday night.
The sixteen alleged perpetrators have been identified by the initials MKA, MNA, RBS, KEP, MVR, NZF, MRARP, DSW, MT, AHFG, SPBP, IK, RM, PDP, MDP, and RFR. During the forum, the perpetrators took turns admitting to the verbal sexual harassment expressed within their group. The harassment targeted several female lecturers and students.
According to Yatalathof, the forum resulted in a commitment from the Dean to impose strict sanctions. "They could even be expelled if serious wrongdoing is proven during the process," he said when contacted on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Dinda Shabrina and Oyuk I. Siagian contributed to this article
Read: UI Law Students Demand Expulsion of 16 in Sexual Harassment Case
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