Legal Protection for Children from Unregistered Marriages in Namorambe, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57255/hakamain.v5i1.1873Keywords:
Child Protection, Continuing Offense, Criminal Liability, Islamic Law, Sexual AbuseAbstract
This study aims to examine the legal protection of children born from unregistered marriages under Indonesian law and to analyze its implementation in Namorambe District. It specifically examines the legal provisions governing children’s rights and the fulfillment of their rights to care, custody, financial support, legal identity, and protection. This study employs a qualitative socio-legal approach, combining analysis of relevant legal regulations with empirical data collected through interviews and direct observations in Namorambe District. The findings show that several children experience the consequences of parental separation or divorce, with inadequate marital preparation identified as one contributing factor. The situation becomes more complex when the parents’ marriage is unregistered, as the absence of formal documentation may weaken the practical enforcement of parental responsibilities. Some parents demonstrate limited responsibility after separation, particularly regarding childcare, custody, and financial support, resulting in the inadequate fulfillment of children’s rights. The study concludes that although Indonesian law provides a legal basis for protecting children regardless of their parents’ marital registration status, implementation remains constrained by limited parental responsibility, legal awareness, and access to protection mechanisms. This study contributes to socio-legal scholarship on Indonesian family law by providing empirical insight into the relationship between marriage registration, parental responsibility, and child protection at the local level. It emphasizes the need for stronger legal awareness, institutional protection, and parental accountability to ensure the fulfillment of children’s rights and welfare.
References
Adi, Muhammad Fitri. “Hadhonah Rights of Children (Not Mumayyis) Based on Compilation of Islamic Law and Child Protection Act.” Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 2, no. 1 (2023): 9–22. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17388734.
Ahmmed, Faisal, Mohammad Shahjahan Chowdhury, and Sharif Mostafa Helal. “Sexual and Reproductive Health Experiences of Adolescent Girls and Women in Marginalised Communities in Bangladesh.” Culture, Health & Sexuality 24, no. 8 (2022): 1035–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2021.1909749.
Akmal, Andi Muhammad, Chaerul Mundzir, Mulham Jaki Asti, Rahmawati Abbas, and Zulhas’ari Mustafa. “Legal Solutions for Domestic Violence in Unregistered Marriages in Indonesia: Integrating Maqāṣid Al-Sharī’ah.” El-Usrah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga 7, no. 2 (2024): 768. https://doi.org/10.22373/ujhk.v7i2.25971.
Al-Zubi, Jehan Khalid, Mohammad Maaqqbeh, Sadam Mohammed Awaisheh, Yusuf Ahmad Mofleh, Salah Mohammed Awaisheh, and Tariq Kamal Alhasan. “Progress and Challenges in the Legal Framework of Women’s Rights in Jordan.” International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences 19, no. 1 (2024): 519–31. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19128.
Aslati, Armi Agustar, Silawati, Arisman, and Siti Arafah. “Utilizing Science and Maqāṣid Al-Sharī’ah in Resolving Contemporary Issues of Islamic Family Law.” Al-Manahij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam 18, no. 1 (2024): 17–36. https://doi.org/10.24090/mnh.v18i1.10571.
Azni, Azni, Muhammad Hafis, Asril Amirul Zakariah, Adi Harmanto, Miftahuddin Miftahuddin, and M. Ihsan. “Pseudo-Maṣlaḥah and Epistemological Failure in Marriage Dispensation at Indonesian Religious Courts.” Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun 13, no. 2 (2025): 1399–1420. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v13i2.2047.
Baihaqi, Baihaqi, Titik Triwulan Tutik, Ahmad Musadad, A. Mufti Khazin, and Mahtumridho Ghufron bin Simun. “Legal Non-Compliance and Kiai Hegemony: The Practice of Unregistered Marriages among the Madurese Muslim Community of Kubu Raya.” Journal of Islamic Law 5, no. 2 (2024): 242–68. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v5i2.2819.
Bitler, Marianne, Hilary Hoynes, and Elira Kuka. “Child Poverty, the Great Recession, and the Social Safety Net in the United States.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 36, no. 2 (2017): 358–89. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21963.
Braham, Mohamed Yassine, Maher Jedidi, Imene Hmila, Tasnim Masmoudi, Mohamed Kamel Souguir, and Mohamed Ben Dhiab. “Epidemiological Aspects of Child Abuse and Neglect in Sousse, Tunisia: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.” Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 54 (2018): 121–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2018.01.003.
Caputo, Virginia. “Children’s Participation and Protection in a Globalised World: Reimagining ‘Too Young to Wed’ through a Cultural Politics of Childhood.” International Journal of Human Rights 21, no. 1 (2017): 76–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2016.1248124.
Courtemanche, Charles, James Marton, Benjamin Ukert, Aaron Yelowitz, and Daniela Zapata. “Early Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on Health Insurance Coverage in Medicaid Expansion and Non-Expansion States.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 36, no. 1 (2017): 178–210. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21961.
Dewi, Anak Agung Istri Ari Atu, Ni Ketut Supasti Dharmawan, Anak Agung Istri Eka Krisnayanti, Putu Aras Samsithawrati, and I Gede Agus Kurniawan. “The Role of Human Rights and Customary Law to Prevent Early Childhood Marriage in Indonesia.” Sriwijaya Law Review 6, no. 2 (2022): 268–85. https://doi.org/10.28946/slrev.Vol6.Iss2.1885.pp268-285.
Elimartati, Arifki Budia Warman, Firdaus, Riska Fauziah Hayati, Kasmidin, and Musda Asmara. “From Custodians to Bystanders: Tigo Tungku Sajarangan’s Responses to Unregistered Marriages Practices in Minangkabau.” Al-Ahwal: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam 18, no. 1 (2025): 47–64. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2025.18103.
Fakhria, Sheila, Kholifatun Nur Mustofa, Mohamad Ma’mun, Ahmad Wahidi, and Mochammad Agus Rachmatulloh. “Securing Muslim Children’s Civil Rights: Debate on State Legal Policy towards the Issuance of Family Cards for Unregistered Marriage Couples.” El-Mashlahah 14, no. 2 (2024): 303–22. https://doi.org/10.23971/el-mashlahah.v14i2.8008.
Franke, Sebastian, and Hill Kulu. “Mortality Differences by Partnership Status in England and Wales: The Effect of Living Arrangements or Health Selection?” European Journal of Population 34, no. 1 (2018): 87–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-017-9423-7.
Gash, Alison, and Judith Raiskin. “Parenting without Protection: How Legal Status Ambiguity Affects Lesbian and Gay Parenthood.” Law & Social Inquiry 43, no. 1 (2018): 82–118. https://doi.org/10.1111/lsi.12233.
Giang, Long Thanh, Tham Hong Thi Pham, and Phong Manh Phi. “Productive Activities of the Older People in Vietnam.” Social Science & Medicine 229 (2019): 32–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.09.054.
Gutierrez, Carmen M. “The Institutional Determinants of Health Insurance: Moving Away from Labor Market, Marriage, and Family Attachments under the ACA.” American Sociological Review 83, no. 6 (2018): 1144–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122418811112.
Harry, Musleh, Saifullah, Jundiani, and Meisy Fajarani. “Examining the Provision of Legal and Religious Education to Islamic Families to Safeguard the Rights and Well-Being of Women and Children: A Case Study Conducted in Malang Regency, East Java.” Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga dan Hukum Islam 8, no. 3 (2024): 1526. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v8i3.19566.
Heim, Bradley, Ithai Lurie, and Kosali Simon. “The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Young Adult Provision on Childbearing: Evidence from Tax Data.” Demography 55, no. 4 (2018): 1233–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-018-0692-5.
Hoddinott, John, and Tseday J. Mekasha. “Social Protection, Household Size, and Its Determinants: Evidence from Ethiopia.” Journal of Development Studies 56, no. 10 (2020): 1818–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2020.1736283.
Horii, Hoko. “Walking a Thin Line: Taking Children’s Decision to Marry Seriously?” Childhood 27, no. 2 (2020): 254–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568220901758.
Idris, Ahmad Rusyaid, Muhammad Khusaini, and Syaiful Anwar Al-Mansyuri. “Contemporary Islamic Law in Indonesia: The Fulfillment of Child Custody Rights in Divorce Cases Caused by Early Marriage.” MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review 3, no. 1 (2024): 1. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v3i1.8907.
Islamiyah, Nanda Nabilah. “When Religious Leaders Become Marriage Brokers, Penghulus, and Marriage Consultants: The Authority of Kyai in the Process of Unregistered Marriage.” Al-Ahwal: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam 17, no. 1 (2024): 21–40. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2024.17102.
Kaminsky, Lauren. “‘No Rituals and Formalities!’ Free Love, Unregistered Marriage and Alimony in Early Soviet Law and Family Life.” Gender & History 29, no. 3 (2017): 716–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0424.12320.
Kane, Jennifer B. “Marriage Advantages in Perinatal Health: Evidence of Marriage Selection or Marriage Protection?” Journal of Marriage and Family 78, no. 1 (2016): 212–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12257.
Khalilurrahman, Muhammad, Eficandra, and Dodon Alfiander. “Sharia-Based Customs in Unregistered Marriage Rules (Case Study in Rambatan Village, West Sumatra).” Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam 7, no. 2 (2022): 595. https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v7i2.5543.
Levy, Sheri R., Katya Migacheva, Luisa Ramírez, Corahann Okorodudu, Harold Cook, Vera Araujo-Soares, Anca Minescu, David Livert, Deborah Fish Ragin, and Peter Walker. “A Human Rights-Based Approach to the Global Children’s Rights Crisis: A Call to Action.” Journal of Social Issues 78, no. 4 (2022): 1085–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12563.
Lubis, Rusdi Rizki, Asmuni, Tamyiz Mukharrom, Candra Boy Seroza, and Aisyah Kahar. “Towards Legal Justice: Expanding Criteria for Obligatory Bequests in Unregistered Wives in Polygamous Marriages.” Al-Ahkam 35, no. 1 (2025): 117–46. https://doi.org/10.21580/ahkam.2025.35.1.25358.
Marshall, Katherine, Sudipta Roy, Chris Seiple, and Hugo Slim. “Religious Engagement in Development: What Impact Does It Have?” Review of Faith & International Affairs 19, no. S1 (2021): 42–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2021.1983347.
Masyithoh, Novita Dewi, Suteki, Yunanto, Briliyan Ernawati, and Nur Hidayati. “Unregistered Polygamous Marriage of Civil Servants and Its Implication for Wives’ Financial Problem, Social Fate and Loss of Children’s Welfare.” International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education 13, no. 2 (2021): 312–18. https://doi.org/10.9756/INT-JECSE/V13I2.211067.
Mirzaee, Zahra, Masoomeh Maarefvand, Mir Taher Mousavi, Nilufar Pourzand, Samaneh Hossienzadeh, and Jagdish Khubchandani. “Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Girls’ Early Marriage in Maneh and Samalqan, Iran.” Children and Youth Services Review 122 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105900.
Noble, Eva, Leora Ward, Shelby French, and Kathryn Falb. “State of the Evidence: A Systematic Review of Approaches to Reduce Gender-Based Violence and Support the Empowerment of Adolescent Girls in Humanitarian Settings.” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 20, no. 3 (2019): 428–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017699601.
Nuruddin, Aisyah Wardatul Jannah, and Dwi Martini. “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Age Restriction on Marriage in Indonesia.” Volksgeist: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum dan Konstitusi 6, no. 2 (2023): 313–30. https://doi.org/10.24090/volksgeist.v6i2.9844.
Rahman, Encep Taufik, Ahmad Suganda, Sérgio António Neves Lousada, Hasanah Abd Khafidz, Miftakhul Huda, Yayan Sopyan, Naeli Mutmainah, Arwansyah Bin Kirin, Sartono, and Aliyeva Patimat Shapiulayevna. “How Does the State Regulate the Administration of Unregistered Marriages in Muslim Minority Communities? The Practice of Mass Weddings in Jayapura City.” Jurnal Ilmiah Al-Syir’ah 22, no. 2 (2024): 207. https://doi.org/10.30984/jis.v22i2.3210.
Rao, Nitya. “Global Agendas, Local Norms: Mobilizing around Unpaid Care and Domestic Work in Asia.” Development and Change 49, no. 3 (2018): 735–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12390.
Riad, Germeen, and Carie Forden. “‘If We Didn’t Talk, We Would Be Like Ostriches Burying Our Heads in the Sand’: Attitudes toward Sexuality, Gender, and Sex Education among Child Protection Social Workers in Egypt.” Children and Youth Services Review 129 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106205.
Rosyad, Imron, Helmy Ziaul Fuad, and Ashlaha Baladina Zaimuddin. “Criminalization of Unregistered Marriage in Indonesia: A Legal System Analysis Based on Friedman’s Theory.” Al-’Adalah 22, no. 1 (2025): 147–80. https://doi.org/10.24042/adalah.v22i1.22779.
Sabri, Bushra, Michelle Simonet, and Jacquelyn C. Campbell. “Risk and Protective Factors of Intimate Partner Violence among South Asian Immigrant Women and Perceived Need for Services.” Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 24, no. 3 (2018): 442–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000189.
Salam, Safrin, Nurul Miqat, Risma Yulestari, Ibrahim Kayode Muhammed, and Callistus Odeh. “The Erosion of Customary Authority and the Riset of Local Ulama in the Normalization of Unregistered Marriages in Indonesian Muslim Communities.” Mawaddah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam 4, no. 1 (2026): 351–75. https://doi.org/10.52496/mjhki.v4i1.72.
Saran, Ashrita, Howard White, Kerry Albright, and Jill Adona. “Mega-Map of Systematic Reviews and Evidence and Gap Maps on the Interventions to Improve Child Well-Being in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” Campbell Systematic Reviews 16, no. 4 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1116.
Sarkin, Jeremy. “A Methodology to Ensure That States Adequately Apply Due Diligence Standards and Processes to Significantly Impact Levels of Violence against Women around the World.” Human Rights Quarterly 40, no. 1 (2018): 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2018.0000.
Setiawan, Peter Jeremiah, Xavier Nugraha, Desak Ayu Gangga Sitha Dewi, and Marchethy Riwani Diaz. “Juridical Implications of Unregistered Marriage against Legal Protection in the Domestic Violence Law.” Media Iuris 6, no. 3 (2023): 457–78. https://doi.org/10.20473/mi.v6i3.43219.
Siti, Bayturrochmah, Fitriani A. Sjarif, and Heriyono Tardjono. “Practice in Making Notarial Agreements in Unregistered Marriage in Indonesia.” Nurani: Jurnal Kajian Syari’ah dan Masyarakat 22, no. 1 (2022): 145–58. https://doi.org/10.19109/nurani.v22i1.10226.
Syrda, Joanna. “The Impact of Marriage and Parenthood on Male Body Mass Index: Static and Dynamic Effects.” Social Science & Medicine 186 (2017): 148–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.033.
Voorhoeve, Maaike. “Law and Social Change in Tunisia: The Case of Unregistered Marriage.” Oxford Journal of Law and Religion 7, no. 3 (2018): 479–97. https://doi.org/10.1093/ojlr/rwy027.
Wahib, Ahmad Bunyan, Muhammad Jihadul Hayat, and Nurulbahiah Awang. “Unregistered Marriages in Sabah: Indonesian Migrant Workers at the Crossroads of Faith, Law, and Livelihood.” Journal of Human Rights, Culture and Legal System 5, no. 2 (2025): 608–29. https://doi.org/10.53955/jhcls.v5i2.702.
Zust, Barbara L., Jaclyn Housley, and Anna Klatke. “Evangelical Christian Pastors’ Lived Experience of Counseling Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence.” Pastoral Psychology 66, no. 5 (2017): 675–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-017-0781-1.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ahmad Nubli Sitepu, Amal Hayati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
