PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM TERHADAP JURNALIS PERS MAHASISWA DALAM KRIMINALISASI PELIPUTAN KEKERASAN SEKSUAL

Student press journalists are highly vulnerable to criminalization when articulating issues of sexual violence within higher education institutions. However, the Indonesian legal framework possesses various instruments designed to guarantee protection for student press journalistic activities. Consequently, this study is crucial to analyze the extent to which the Indonesian legal framework provides a guarantee of protection for student press journalists facing criminalization related to the coverage of sexual violence. This study employs a socio-legal approach incorporating a victim perspective. Data were collected through interviews and document reviews. Interviews were conducted with journalists from BPPM Balairung UGM, LPM Lintas IAIN Ambon, and UKPM Catatan Kaki at Hasanuddin University. The data were analyzed qualitatively utilizing Philipus M. Hadjon’s Theory of Legal Protection and Victimology Theory. The findings indicate that the Indonesian legal framework suffers from implementation failure in providing protection for student press journalists. The gap in preventive legal protection is evidenced by campus authorities utilizing academic sanctions and disregarding established press dispute mechanisms. On the other hand, the functional failure of repressive legal protection is demonstrated by law enforcement officials directly applying general criminal offenses (KUHP and UU ITE) to press disputes, alongside violations of due process of law during examination procedures. This study concludes that such criminal reporting constitutes a form of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), resulting in secondary victimization manifesting as material and immaterial losses for student press journalists.