Indonesia: Social media outrage after aspiring judge says rape victims "enjoy it"

Responding to a question in his confirmation hearings about whether the death penalty should be applied to rapists, Indonesian Supreme Court candidate Daming Sanusi reportedly said, "Consideration needs to be taken thoroughly for the imposition of death penalty for a rapist because in a rape case both the rapist and the victim enjoy it."

This did not go over well with women in the predominantly Muslim country. More: CNN.com.

In response, Jakarta Post Managing Editor Primastuti Handayani wrote an incendiary op-ed:

Daming is not the only one making public statements blaming the victims of rape. We still remember former Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo’s remark when, last year, he advised women against wearing “provocative clothes” while using public transportation in order to avoid being raped. He made his statement after several gang rape cases on public minivans, including the rape of a Binus University student who was subsequently killed.

Fauzi then publicly apologized after his statement went viral and people condemned him.

Social media has helped society to become more aware of the irregularities occurring around them. Public pressure can often be conveyed more effectively through the media rather than channeling our voices through our representatives at the House in Senayan.

• [angusm]

  The Republican Party evidently has branches overseas.

  • [oasisob1]

    Their next Presidential candidate, actually.

• [Snig]

  Christ, what an asshole.

• [Mordicai]

  Yes, “irregularities.”  So irregular that a week can’t go by without a political figure being busted for flagrant misogyny in the face of rape.  So…if that is what politicians are saying about worst case scenarios…how do you think the rest of the culture is?  Here and abroad?

  The sad fact is that this is utterly, horrifyingly REGULAR.

  • [Felton / Moderator]

    True.  Misogyny is pandemic.

• [robcat2075]

  He may be right. Perhaps he should submit to a very long, very hard test of that assertion

  • [Andrew Singleton]

    He he he he he said Hard…..

    I’m a terrible person.

• [Roose_Bolton]

  This story makes no sense. Are you trying to tell me that giant piles of excrement are seriously considered as candidates for Indonesia’s supreme court?

  • [Ashen Victor]

    You will be surprised to find how many semi-sentient piles of dung have being elected as presidents / prime ministers!

    • [flickerKuu]

       In the U.S. as well!

• [UncaScrooge]

  It occurs to me that if this judge were to be forcibly injected with heroin from a dirty needle, he would “enjoy” it. Next argument, please.

• [SomeGuyNamedMark]

  I’m sure there are people in prison willing to help him personally test his theory.

• [Nword]

  The whole rape victims have orgasms confusion strikes again. 

  I’m not trolling (please read up on it, it came as a surprise to me too), an orgasm doesn’t mean that the woman enjoyed it, in fact it often makes the trauma worse.. as they feel betrayed by their bodies.

  • [Andrew Singleton]

    Also one of the reasons why it’s asserted men cannot be raped.

    *sigh* when will people learn it isn’t about the physical act so much as being violated in deeply personal ways.

    • [Shane Simmons]

      My mom used to be a secretary at a legal firm specializing in helping people who couldn’t afford it. One lawyer took on a case, a case of a male with Downs being raped by a woman. They all, including the lawyer, apparently literally laughed at the “absurdity” of the case, because he’d had an erection, and had ejaculated…

      • [Andrew Singleton]

        Given the guy wouldn’t have been legally capable of consenting then it would have to be treated the same as sexual acts against a minor wouldn’t it?

        • [robcat2075]

          I don’t think people are automatically, legally incompetent just because they have Down’s syndrome, which can span a wide range of ability.  I think any adult would have to be found so in a hearing.

• [flickerKuu]

  I don’t think a lot of these guys REALLY understand what rape is. Perhaps they should be shown an example first hand?

• [Petzl]

  SANTORUM / SANUSI  2016

• [Benjamin Heist]

  shouldn’t this just be referred to as community outrage… is the tech used to express it important?