REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo has agreed to issue a Perppu (government regulation in lieu of law) and a presidential regulation (Perpres) to prevent child violence and bullying, cabinet secretary Pramono Anung said here on Wednesday.

He said following a limited cabinet meeting on the issue at the presidential office, "the President agreed to issue Perppu and Perpres to prevent and overcome child violence."

He said so far all cases of child violence were only being reported to the police or were being ignored.

No other action was mandatory and a new regulation needed to be issued, he said.

"This Perppu idea actually emerged following discussions on the issue as some people wanted to introduce castration as a punishment for sex offenders who abuse children while some others rejected such a move," he said.

Pramono said the President has asked his officials to study the issue more deeply as community members were engaged with pros and cons of such a proposal.

"Any kind of sexual violence against children, according to Pak (Mr) Arist (the chairman of the National Commission on Child Protection) must be categorized as an extraordinary crime," he said.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Puan Maharani, said the Perpres would be issued soon.

"The best way (to deal with the crime) is preventing, imposing sanctions and overcoming it," she said.

As for Perppu on castration, she said the subject needed to be seriously studied even further.

She said predators must be made to face very heavy punishment, such as castration using chemical substance, as a deterrent.

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