<![CDATA[Sexual violence against children remains a major legal and human rights issue in Indonesia, particularly in Aceh where formal criminal law operates in a unique socio-cultural environment shaped by Islamic values, customary norms (adat) and patriarchal gender relations. However, there is limited empirical evidence on how these legal, religious, cultural and institutional dimensions interact to shape gender-responsive protection for child victims of sexual violence in Aceh. The study aimed to explore gender perspectives on the protection provided by criminal law for child victims of sexual violence and to investigate institutional, socio-cultural, and psychosocial factors that influence their access to justice and recovery. This paper is based on a qualitative socio-legal study involving 12 participants selected purposively from Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar and Pidie. The participants are law enforcers, victim advocates, psychologists, DP3A/P2TP2A officers and family members of the victims. The data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews and were analyzed thematically. The findings showed that legal practices did not systematically incorporate gender-responsive and trauma-informed principles and that procedural requirements often prevailed over the psychological and emotional needs of the victims. Protection and recovery was further limited by social stigma, patriarchal norms, limited institutional capacity, inadequate professional training and weak inter-agency coordination. Complementary legal and psychosocial roles were played by law enforcement and victim assistance institutions. The study concludes that child protection in Aceh is affected by the interaction of formal criminal law, institutional practices and socio-cultural norms. To advance equitable and child-centered justice, it is essential to strengthen gender-responsive professional capacity, trauma-informed services, inter-agency coordination and culturally adaptive protection mechanisms.]]>
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