<![CDATA[Sexual violence in higher education constitutes a legal and institutional problem that may threaten victims’ dignity, personal security, and continuity of education. Although Indonesia has strengthened its legal framework through Law Number 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes and regulations governing the prevention and handling of violence in higher education, the effectiveness of legal protection ultimately depends on its implementation at the institutional level. This study aims to analyse the implementation of legal protection for victims of sexual violence at selected higher education institutions in Gorontalo, identify barriers to its implementation, and formulate directions for strengthening victim protection. This study employs empirical legal research with a qualitative approach, supported by normative juridical and conceptual approaches. Primary data were obtained through interviews and observations, while secondary data were collected through library research and documentation. The data were analysed qualitatively through editing, classification, verification, and interpretation. The findings demonstrate that effective legal protection depends not merely on the existence of regulations and institutional structures, but also on the integration of accessible reporting mechanisms, confidentiality, assistance, institutional follow-up, referral services, and victim recovery. Implementation continues to face barriers related to academic power relations, negative responses to disclosure, limited service capacity, potential conflicts of interest, and insufficient coordination and data management. The study concludes that effective protection depends on the capacity of higher education institutions to translate legal obligations into mechanisms that are safe, independent, accessible, and oriented towards victim recovery and educational continuity. Higher education institutions should therefore strengthen reporting procedures, confidentiality safeguards, task force capacity, conflict-of-interest management, external referral systems, and periodic service evaluation to reduce the gap between normative legal guarantees and protection that victims can effectively access in practice.]]>
