Victim Protection and Law Enforcement in the Regulation of Cross-Border Human Trafficking
Keywords:
Human trafficking, trafficking in persons, criminal law, victim protection, victim recovery, institutional coordination, ASEAN cooperationAbstract
Human trafficking requires a legal framework that combines criminalisation, victim protection, recovery, institutional coordination, and cross-border cooperation. This article examines three issues: the current construction of trafficking offences following recent developments in Indonesian criminal law, the legal position of victim protection and recovery, and the role of institutional and regional cooperation in prevention and response. The study employs doctrinal legal research combined with an academic literature review of criminal legislation, victim-service regulations, international and ASEAN instruments, and relevant scholarly works. The synthesis shows that the legal framework has changed following the entry into force of the national Criminal Code, which partially repealed the principal trafficking provision in the 2007 anti-trafficking statute and relocated the core offence to Article 455, subsequently adjusted in 2026. Victim protection remains governed through specialised mechanisms covering identification, health and social rehabilitation, legal assistance, safe return, reintegration, and confidentiality. Effective regulation further requires coordinated national institutions and ASEAN cooperation. A coherent response must preserve criminal accountability while ensuring continuous, rights-based protection for trafficked persons.
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