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Student Detectives Uncover Abuse at Indonesian School
10 Oct
Summary
- Former students investigated alleged abuse by a headmaster.
- Police reopened the case following a BBC World Service report.
- Twelve additional former students provided testimony to police.
A former headmaster of an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar, has been detained by police and named a suspect in a sexual abuse investigation. The case was reopened after a BBC World Service report revealed accusations against Sumar, who was known to students as Abah.
Former students, led by Ziadatur Rahmah (Zia) and Sukma Rohana Fajar, initiated their own investigation, gathering evidence and testimonies. Their efforts prompted 12 additional former students to provide statements to the police, leading to public outrage.
Sumar, who led the Abul Barokat boarding school on Lombok island, denied the allegations at a press conference but did not dispute recordings of him pleading for silence and protection. He has since resigned from his post and stated he will cooperate with the legal process. The organization that ran the school, Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah (NWDI), denied a cover-up and stated it was investigating internally.
