Assessing The Readiness of Legal Structures and Legal Culture in Addressing Sexual Violence in Digital Spaces

Abstract

The abstract section of a research paper should contain five key elements: the background, the aim of research objectives, the method or framework used, important results or conclusions, and suggestions. The abstract should be no longer than 250 words and should not include unusual or difficult-to-understand abbreviations. Additionally, an abstract should be written in both Indonesian and English if the full text is in Indonesian. If the full article is in English, then only one abstract in English is needed. The abstract should be written in one paragraphDigital sexual violence has emerged as a rapidly escalating phenomenon in Indonesia, driven by the country's accelerating digital transformation and deepening reliance on information and communication technologies. Although Law No. 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes (Undang-Undang TPKS) represents a landmark legislative breakthrough, significant gaps persist between its normative aspirations and operational realities particularly with respect to law enforcement readiness, the handling of digital evidence, and the provision of meaningful protection for survivors. To date, no study has comprehensively examined these gaps through the simultaneous lens of cyber-forensic integration and victim-sensitive legal culture. This study therefore aims to assess the structural readiness of law enforcement agencies in implementing special criminal procedural law governing digital evidence of sexual violence to ensure legal certainty, while also analysing how prevailing legal culture shapes the effectiveness of digital sexual violence enforcement in Indonesia. Employing a Socio-Legal Research methodology, the study triangulates normative legal analysis with empirical investigation of enforcement practices and societal legal perceptions. Key findings reveal that the technical incapacity of law enforcement personnel in digital forensics constitutes a systemic barrier to effective investigation and prosecution, while deeply entrenched patriarchal legal culture continues to generate secondary victimisation and deter survivors from seeking redress. The study advances a novel integrated framework that embeds cyber-forensic standards within a victim-sensitive legal culture approach to criminal procedure an architecture designed to bridge institutional deficits and cultural blind spots simultaneously. These findings carry significant implications for evidence procedural reform, institutional capacity-building, and the broader project of cultivating a rights-based, survivor-centred legal culture in Indonesia's digital enforcement landscape.