Mass sex abuse allegations force closure of boarding school in Indonesia

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Mass sex abuse allegations force closure of boarding school in Indonesia10 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleQuinawaty Pasaribu , News IndonesiaandGavin ButlerFacebook/IlovePatiKiai Ashari, 58, has faced a string of allegations over the yearsHundreds of people descended on a girls' boarding school in the Indonesian village of Tlogosari, Central Java on 2 May, shouting chants and waving banners. "Women are not sexual objects" read one. Another said, simply, "The Predator".

The mob was there to accost and hurl insults at 58-year-old Kiai Ashari, the caretaker of the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic boarding school, as he was escorted away by police. He is suspected of sexually abusing dozens of female students – most of them orphans from poor families – over the course of several years. The case has provoked outrage in Indonesia, and highlights a systemic issue of sexual abuse in Islamic boarding schools across the country.

The Details

While multiple witnesses who spoke out against Ashari have since withdrawn their testimonies, one victim has now filed an official complaint – and suggested that as many as 50 others fell prey to the caretaker's sexual violence. " is 30 to 50 children based on the victim's statement," the victim's attorney, Ali Yusron, told the . "I handled one victim, but the legal process tells of many victims.

"One person reveals everything. "Police said on 4 May that Ashari, who investigators named as a suspect on 28 April, had not yet been detained – but insisted that he would not flee. He proved them wrong later that day, fleeing Pati for the cities of Bogor, Jakarta and Solo before being caught by police on the night of 6 May at a mosque in Wonogiri, Central Java.

Pati police chief Jaka Wahyudi told reporters on 7 May that the victim was allegedly abused 10 times at different locations between February 2020 and January 2024. The suspect is accused of entering the victim's room under the pretext of asking for a massage, before telling the victim to remove their clothing and committing indecent acts including "touching, squeezing and kissing". After the incident occurred a tenth time the victim told their father, and a police report was filed.

What Experts Say

A history of allegationsThis is not the first time Ashari has faced allegations of sexual abuse against his students. The caretaker, who also founded the Ndholo Kusumo school, is thought to have a history of abuse dating back to 2022. "The victims are female students, mostly MTs students," Ali says.

"Three years in a row, they change at will. "In 2024, Pati Police's Women and Children's Services Unit (PPA) received reports of alleged sexual crimes targeting minors in their teens. Some of those charges were later dropped.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.