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This article examines the handling of sexual harassment offenses within Indonesia’s criminal justice system, which faces complex challenges, particularly when restorative justice (RJ) is used as an alternative mechanism for case resolution. This study analyzes the implementation of RJ in sexual harassment cases at the Sleman Resort Police (Polres Sleman), referring to the Indonesian National Police Regulation No. 8 of 2021 on the Handling of Criminal Acts Based on Restorative Justice. The analysis focuses on how this policy is applied at the operational level and how its practice interacts with the normative provisions set forth in Law No. 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes (UU TPKS), which explicitly prohibits non-judicial settlement for several categories of sexual violence. Using a qualitative approach through interviews, observations, and document analysis, the study finds that RJ continues to be applied at Polres Sleman despite its potential conflict with the prohibitions stipulated in the UU TPKS. At the operational level, the legal culture of police officers plays a significant role in encouraging the use of RJ, driven by pragmatic considerations such as efficiency in case resolution, social pressure from the community, and officers’ perceptions of the seriousness of sexual harassment cases. As a result, victims’ rights often fail to become the central focus, even though victimology emphasizes the importance of victim recovery and protection. The study concludes that regulatory harmonization, increased sensitivity of law enforcement officers toward sexual violence issues, and strengthened victim protection mechanisms are essential to ensure that the application of RJ does not undermine substantive justice.

Violence or sexual harassment is a problem that is quite serious and often occurs socially. In this case, it usually occurs in a problem that is complex. The rise of news on social media related to sexual violence experienced by some people is enough to shock the public. Most cases of sexual violence are experienced by a woman who is the victim. Cases of violence or sexual harassment against women are still an iceberg phenomenon. This is because many women who are victims of sexual harassment are reluctant to report what they have experienced. Violence or sexual harassment that occurs to women is often blamed on the way they dress. In fact, if you look at clothes, it is not one of the main causes of women becoming victims of sexual harassment. Violence or sexual harassment that occurs never looks at any clothes, in fact often the victim of sexual harassment is a woman who wears closed clothes. In addition, violence or sexual harassment can also be caused by a patriarchal culture that dominates and seems to justify the action. Where in patriarchal culture itself men are often considered more dominant and have a higher position than women. Therefore, men feel they have more power over women and can act as they please. Until now, patriarchal culture is still developing in society. Even though this shouldn't have been done. Therefore, there is a need for radical feminism with the aim of making changes in society and obtaining equality between men and women, especially in obtaining equal rights in society from a social and economic point of view.