Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani said the government had agreed on the punishment at a special meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo today.

Online media quoted Puan Maharani as saying the clasping of microchips was to allow monitoring of offenders and for society to know they were former rapists.

“In the special meeting, it was was decided that in connection with the protection of children against sexual crimes, the government will issue Government Regulation In Lieu of Law (Perpu), namely to provide a maximum 20-year imprisonment,” she said.

The punishment for rape currently is imprisonment of not more than 10 years.

Perpu was a rule of law stipulated by the president and would become a national law after it was signed by the president.

She said other than castrations and the clasping of microchips, the identities of the offenders would continue to be published despite having undergone sentences.

She said President Jokowi wanted a heavy form of punishment against rapists as proof of the government’s commitment in looking after the lot of women, especially children.

Meanwhile, Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly said castration would be carried out chemically, and after the offender was freed, the authorities would place a microchip on his leg to monitor his movements.

-BERNAMA