JUSTICE BEYOND THE VERDICT: CRIMINAL LAW ENFORCEMENT GAPS IN PROTECTING CYBERBULLYING VICTIMS IN MAKASSAR CITY

Ibrahim; Andi Risma; La Ode Husen

doi:10.58432/z3c12p70

Authors

Ibrahim Indonesian Muslim University of Makassar Author
Andi Risma Indonesian Muslim University of Makassar Author
La Ode Husen Indonesian Muslim University of Makassar Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58432/z3c12p70

Keywords:

cyberbullying, criminal law enforcement, victim protection, legal gaps, restorative justice

Abstract

This study critically examines the criminal law enforcement gaps in protecting cyberbullying victims in Makassar City, Indonesia. Adopting a normative-legal research methodology with a socio-legal orientation, this research integrates statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, supplemented by qualitative interviews with law enforcement officers. The findings reveal three interconnected gaps: (1) a substantive gap, where the absence of a lex specialis for cyberbullying forces reliance on general defamation provisions in the UU ITE and KUHP; (2) a structural gap, characterized by limited digital forensic capacity, inadequate human resources, and evidentiary difficulties in proving mens rea in digital environments; and (3) a cultural and procedural gap, where the justice system prioritizes retributive verdicts (pro justitia) over restorative justice, neglecting victim rehabilitation and psychological recovery. These gaps form a self-perpetuating cycle of dysfunction that undermines victim protection. The study concludes that achieving "Justice Beyond the Verdict" requires comprehensive legal reform, enhanced institutional capacity, and a paradigm shift toward victim-centered restorative justice in Indonesia's cyberbullying enforcement framework

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