Indonesia Bans Sex Outside Marriage, Offenders Face Up To 1 Year’s Jail

Indonesia Passes New Criminal Code On 6 Dec, Bans Sex Outside Marriage

Indonesia has passed a new criminal code that criminalises extra-marital sex or coitus outside of marriage.

The law applies to both Indonesians and foreigners and is part of a slew of changes that also include bans on black magic and insults towards the president or state institutions.

Offenders found guilty of extra-martial sex may find themselves behind bars for up to a year.

Indonesia bans sex outside marriage, black magic & insults against president

On Tuesday (6 Dec), Indonesia passed a new criminal code that bans sex outside of marriage.

The law applies to Indonesians and foreigners alike and comes with a jail sentence of up to one year.

The other new laws Parliament passed reportedly include bans on:

• Black magic
• Insulting the president or state institutions
• Spreading views counter to state ideology
• Staging protests without notification

According to Reuters, the new criminal code will not take effect for three years to allow for the drafting of regulations for implementation.

A landmark move away from colonial-era laws

The set of changes is seen as a departure from the laws imposed by the Dutch, who colonised the archipelago nation in the 1600s.

Speaking about this, Bambang Wuryanto, head of the parliamentary commission overseeing the criminal code revision said,

The old code belongs to Dutch heritage…and is no longer relevant now.

In the leadup to the change, human rights groups expressed concerns about the new laws, which would “disproportionally impact women”, reports CNN.

Channel NewsAsia (CNA) also notes that business groups have warned that the new rules might have a detrimental effect on the country’s reputation as a tourist and investment destination.

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