Rekonstruksi Penilaian Kredibilitas Keterangan Saksi Korban dalam Pembuktian Perkara Pidana di Indonesia Berbasis Pendekatan Yuridis dan Psikologi Forensik

Abstract

The testimony of victim witnesses plays a pivotal role in the evidentiary process of criminal proceedings, particularly in cases where corroborating evidence is limited and the criminal act is known only to the perpetrator and the victim. Nevertheless, the assessment of victim-witness credibility in Indonesian criminal justice practice remains predominantly grounded in a formal legal approach that emphasizes compliance with the evidentiary requirements stipulated in the Indonesian Code of Criminal Procedure (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana—KUHAP). Such an approach has not fully accommodated the psychological factors that may influence a victim's ability to perceive, recall, comprehend, and recount the events experienced. This study aims to analyze the weaknesses of the current system for assessing the credibility of victim-witness testimony in criminal adjudication and to reconstruct an assessment model that integrates legal and forensic psychological perspectives. This research employs a normative legal research method using statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. Data were collected through library research encompassing legislation, judicial decisions, and relevant legal and forensic psychology literature. The findings reveal that Indonesia's criminal evidentiary system lacks comprehensive parameters for evaluating the credibility of victim-witness testimony, resulting in judicial assessments that remain largely subjective and potentially contribute to inconsistent judicial decisions. Accordingly, a reconstructed model for assessing victim-witness credibility is required, one that is based not only on the consistency of testimony and its conformity with other available evidence but also on psychological factors, including trauma, memory, suggestibility, and the victim's emotional condition. The integration of legal and forensic psychological approaches is expected to promote a more objective, equitable, and reliable evidentiary process, thereby enhancing the pursuit of substantive truth within Indonesia's criminal justice system.