Indonesia Closes Islamic Boarding School Over Mass Sexual Abuse Allegations

Indonesian authorities have shut down an Islamic boarding school in Central Java following allegations of widespread sexual abuse involving dozens of female students, most of them reportedly from poor families and orphan backgrounds.

The scandal centres on the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic boarding school in Pati, Central Java, where the school’s caretaker, identified as Ashari, has been accused of sexually abusing students over several years. Lawyers representing victims claim between 30 and 50 girls may have been targeted.

According to police investigators, one victim formally reported the abuse after allegedly enduring repeated assaults between 2020 and 2024. Authorities said the suspect allegedly entered students’ rooms under false pretences before committing acts of sexual violence.

The case sparked outrage across Indonesia, with hundreds of residents protesting outside the school earlier this month, carrying banners condemning violence against women and demanding justice for the victims.

Police initially named Ashari as a suspect in late April. Although authorities at first said he would cooperate with investigators, he later reportedly fled across several Indonesian cities before being arrested at a mosque in Central Java on May 6.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed the closure of the boarding school, suspension of admissions, and recommendations to revoke its operating licence. Officials said the allegations exposed serious safeguarding failures within some religious boarding institutions.

The scandal has reignited national debate over child protection and oversight in Indonesia’s Islamic boarding schools, known locally as pesantren. Advocacy groups and religious leaders are now calling for stronger monitoring systems and stricter enforcement against sexual abuse in educational institutions.