SEMARANG – Two residents from the Forensic Medicine and Medicolegal Studies Specialist Medical Education Program at The Faculty of Medicine Universitas Diponegoro (FK Undip), Luh Gita Arnitasari Devi and Stevan Wahyudi, earned Third Place, or Second Runner-Up of the Shinjutsu Tournament, at the prestigious international scientific competition The Genomics and Science DOJO 3.0 Cycle 1.
The international competition, held from 25 to 30 April 2026, was organized by Summit Institute for Development in collaboration with GSI Academy and Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Indonesia, with full support from the British Embassy. The team stood out among participants from various backgrounds, advancing through the document selection stage before joining the final scientific Mini Camp, held both online and onsite in Jakarta alongside leading global experts.
Unlike many teams that focused on complex laboratory-based research, they chose to address a social-medical issue closely tied to realities in the community: the financial barriers to supporting laboratory examinations for victims of sexual violence. In Indonesia, legal frameworks ranging from the 1945 Constitution, the Human Rights Law, the Criminal Procedure Code, to Law No. 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes (UU TPKS) affirm that the state is responsible for covering the full cost of investigations, including medical examinations for victims—from physical examinations to supporting laboratory tests. However, in practice, many victims from lower-income backgrounds decline medical examinations out of fear that they will be charged.
“If a victim refuses to undergo an examination because of financial concerns, we as medical professionals may lose crucial evidence, such as the perpetrator’s sperm sample. As a result, the legal evidence becomes weaker, and victims face greater difficulty in obtaining justice. This major inequality is what we wanted to highlight through this research,” said Stevan Wahyudi in a statement to The Faculty of Medicine Universitas Diponegoro (FK Undip) on Monday, 25 May 2026.
There was one particularly emotional and eye-opening moment for the team during the intensive mentoring session (Mini Camp) in Jakarta. When they apologized for feeling that the journal draft they had submitted was not yet their best work, Anuraj Shankar, Head of Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Indonesia and a professor affiliated with University of Oxford, responded with words that deeply moved them. He said, “You do not need to apologize to me or to anyone here. But you should apologize to the victims you are fighting for through this journal when you feel that this research is not yet at its best,” recalled Luh Gita Arnitasari Devi, recounting Professor Shankar’s message.
The powerful statement became a turning point for both doctors. It reminded them that the competition was never merely about winning a trophy or publishing a scientific paper, but about carrying a moral responsibility to advocate for human rights. Through their research, they hope to encourage stronger policy implementation so that free medical examination services for victims of sexual violence—including visum examinations—can be applied consistently across hospitals throughout Indonesia.
During the three-day Mini Camp in Jakarta, the team underwent an intense academic and personal challenge that tested both their physical endurance and mental resilience. They received hands-on training in processing raw research data, writing scientific papers according to international journal standards, and defending their ideas during the Sparring Session—an academic debate forum designed to assess whether each study was methodologically rigorous, ethically sound, and worthy of further development. The session required participants to think critically, not only to defend their own arguments but also to identify weaknesses in the arguments presented by competing teams.
Despite this achievement, Luh Gita Arnitasari Devi and Stevan Wahyudi said the recognition is only the beginning. Following their success in the scientific tournament, they have qualified for the next workshop stage, which opens the opportunity to present their research internationally. As a tangible contribution to The Faculty of Medicine Universitas Diponegoro (FK Undip), they are also planning to hold a sharing session with fellow students in the near future to exchange insights on international scientific writing techniques and critical thinking approaches they learned directly from world-class mentors. (Public Relations of FK Undip/Saradita/Erman)
