A Critical Analysis of the Devotee Phenomenon and the Vulnerability of Persons with Physical Disabilities in Digital Spaces

Abstract

Data from CATAHU (the Annual Record on Violence Against Women) reveal a rising trend of gender-based violence affecting persons with disabilities. Within this spectrum, the phenomenon of devotees, or individuals who fetishize disabled bodies, reflects a digital form of exploitation that transforms the bodies of persons with disabilities into sexualized objects within virtual spaces. This dynamic often erases the boundaries between desire, control, and dehumanization. Despite its growing visibility, this issue has yet to be adequately addressed in legal frameworks or gender-based violence discourses. This study explores how the devotee phenomenon functions as a form of virtual violence and how persons with disabilities interpret their experiences within such relationships. Employing a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews and a literature study, this study involves disability advocates and service
organizations, such as the Rifka Annisa Women’s Crisis Center, the Society for Assistance and Protection Disability Activists (SAPDA; Women, Disability, and Child Advocacy Center), and the Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Network (SIGAB). The findings are expected to enrich our understanding of how fetishization intersects with ableism and gendered power relations and contribute to the development of inclusive digital protection frameworks that uphold the sexual rights of persons with disabilities.