Recognizing Male Rape: Legal Protection and Human Rights Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30641/ham.2026.17.125-151Keywords:
consent based approach, gender neutral law, non- discrimination, male rape, criminal law reformAbstract
Rape can occur to anyone, including men; therefore, legal protection is necessary to ensure equal rights for all individuals as human beings. Indonesian law previously regulated rape explicitly from a female-victim perspective, as reflected in Article 285 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), which used the phrase “a woman.” This provision fails to reflect equality and results in legal injustice for men who become victims of rape. To date, Indonesian law has largely recognized men only as perpetrators of rape, indirectly creating discriminatory elements within the criminal justice system. This study employs a socio-legal research method, using statutory and comparative legal approaches. Legal regulation of rape against men plays a crucial role in determining fair legal protection for male victims of rape. However, existing rape regulations have not yet been able to ensure the fulfillment of human rights and effective law enforcement for male victims. Therefore, inclusive legal reform is required to protect victims regardless of gender perspective, thereby opening greater opportunities for law enforcement and the realization of human rights. It is essential to reconstruct the law in a more inclusive and gender-neutral manner. Such efforts can be undertaken by refining Article 473 on rape in the new Criminal Code through comparative analysis with the United Kingdom’s Sexual Offences Act 2003. This reform also requires an expanded understanding of justice and human rights within Indonesian law, including clearer recognition of consent, coercion, and the absence of consent. The objective is to ensure that the law no longer favors gender stereotypes, but instead provides universal protection for victims, creating space for equality that acknowledges men as potential victims within the substance, structure, and legal culture of an equitable legal system
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