Dr Gopala Sasie Rekha

Biography

Dr. Gopala Sasie Rekha is a Lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Policing, Criminology, and Forensics at the University of Winchester. She obtained her PhD in Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology from the University of Southampton in 2022. Her PhD dissertation, titled “Life After Trafficking: The Social Reintegration Process of Victims of Sex Trafficking and Their Families in Indonesia,” laid the foundation for her current research and teaching at the intersection of criminology, sociology, law, and gender studies.

Following the completion of her PhD, she has actively contributed to academic literature, with her work appearing in Trends in Organized Crime, Law, Technology and Humans, and The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice. She has also published a book chapter with IGI Global focused on forensic investigations in human trafficking cases, and another chapter is forthcoming with Routledge, exploring the challenges faced by indigenous communities navigating human trafficking in Myanmar. Currently, she is writing a monograph on the lives of sex trafficking victims, also for Routledge, while simultaneously working on a project investigating the recruitment processes and entrapment pathways of children into sex trafficking in Indonesia.

Dr. Sasie Rekha’s commitment to academic service extends beyond her home institution. She is an Advisory Board Member in the Sociology Department at Ege University, Turkey, and serves as a member of the Reviewer Team and Peer Reviewer for the Indonesia Journal of Law and the Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights. Furthermore, she acts as an External Examiner for Liverpool John Moores University and Northeastern University – London. She is also an active member of the International Institute of Justice and Police Sciences, contributing to the advancement of justice and policing scholarship.

She is fluent in English, Malay, and Indonesian, enhancing her ability to engage in international collaborations. At the University of Winchester, she teaches a range of subjects, including a module on Modern Slavery, which she developed to address contemporary issues in human trafficking.

Publications

• Rekha, G. S (2024). ‘Uncovering the Shadows: Forensic and Criminological Perspectives on Human Trafficking in Indonesia’, in Chaussée, A. and Leonard, L. J. (ed.) Cases on Forensic and Criminological Science for Criminal Detection and Avoidance: IGI Global, pp.83-95. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-9800-2 – https://www.igi-global.com/book/cases-forensic-criminological-science-criminal/320247    
• Lavorgna, A. and Rekha, G.S. (2020) 'From Horticulture to Psychonautics: An Analysis of Online Communities Discussing and Trading Plants with Psychotropic Properties', Trends in Organized Crime, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-020-09389-5 
• Lavorgna, A., Ugwudike, P., Carr, L., Benitez, Y.S. and Rekha, G.S (2021) ‘To app or not to app? Understanding public resistance in using COVID-19 digital contact tracing’, Law, Technology and Humans, 3(2):28-45, https://doi.org/10.5204/lthj.2012 
• Rekha, G. S. (2020) ‘Female Imprisonment: An Ethnography of Everyday Life in Confinement’, The Howard Journal, 59 (4), 543-545. ISSN 2059-1098. 
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347804076_Female_Imprisonment_An_Ethnography_of_Everyday_Life_in_ConfinementCFrois_Cham_Switzerland_Palgrave_Macmillan_2017_231pp_10999hb_ISBN_978-3-319-63684-9 

Forthcoming projects: 

• Shadows and Voices: Unravelling the Plight of Myanmar's Indigenous Communities in the Maze of Human Trafficking (2025, Routledge Book Chapter) (Editor: Elizabeth Rhoads and Al Khanif)
• Feminist Approach in Sentencing Process of Female Offenders in Corruption Cases in Indonesia (2025, Indonesian Journal of International Law for Feminist Approach to International Law) (Co-writer Vita Cita Emia Tarigan and Rizki Nadia Saputri from the National University of Norths Sumatra, Indonesia)
• Asset Forfeiture Through Reciprocal Agreements as an Effort to Prevent and Eradicate Money Laundering (2025, Justician Journal of Law) (co-writer Diana Darmayanti Putong from Manado State University Indonesia)
• Legal Policy in Maintaining Food Security in Indonesia: A Comparison Study for the Food Security Agency and Indonesian Local Government (2025, Justician Journal of Law) (co-writer Fatkhul muin, Eki Furkon, and Haris Mubarak)