An Indonesian police investigation into systematic sexual abuse at an Islamic boarding school has led to the detention of its former headmaster, following a damning media investigation.
Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar, who ran the Abul Barokat boarding school on Lombok island, was named a suspect and taken into custody. For years, students knew him simply as Abah. His arrest marks a dramatic turn in a case that local authorities had previously shelved, only to reopen it after a documentary by BBC Eye exposed the scale of the allegations.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through the community, prompting terrified parents to pull their children from the school. But for the survivors, it is the culmination of years of quiet, dangerous detective work.
A Secret Investigation by Former Pupils
The breakthrough did not come from the police. It began with two former star pupils: Ziadatur Rahmah, known as Zia, and Sukma Rohana Fajar.
Years after leaving the school, Zia confided in her former classmate, Yusron Azzahidi, about what had happened to her. She was 17 when she says Sumar sexually abused her. At the time of their conversation, Zia was studying in Cairo, Egypt, while Yusron was living in Jakarta. Despite the distance, they decided to act.
Yusron suggested they quietly gather evidence from other alumni. Their search led them to Sukma, who revealed that the headmaster had also attempted to rape her during her time at the school.
Armed with these testimonies, Yusron compiled a detailed seven-page dossier. The group took the document to Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah (NWDI), the powerful Islamic organization that runs the boarding school. They expected support. Instead, they say they faced intense pressure to bury the allegations.
Recorded Confessions and Retractions
The students did not back down. They began secretly recording their phone calls.
In one phone call, Sumar pleaded with Yusron to drop the matter. “Cover the shame of your teacher,” the headmaster said in the recording. “Everyone makes mistakes, my child.”
Sumar also called Zia directly, apologizing for his actions while begging her to keep quiet. Both recordings were later shared with journalists.
Meanwhile, Sukma faced intimidation on the ground. She was forced to sign a written retraction claiming her allegations were entirely made up. Later, Sukma managed to record a conversation with Sumar’s wife, known to the students as Umi. On the tape, Umi admitted the forced retraction was designed solely to protect her husband’s reputation.
With the help of Joko Jumadi, an experienced local lawyer, the former students refused to let the case die.
The Dam Breaks
When the investigation was finally broadcast, the reaction was immediate and fierce.
The very next day, panicked parents arrived at the Lombok school to take their children home. Some had traveled from neighboring islands. One mother, weeping as she packed her daughter’s bags, told reporters she could not let her child stay another night.
The publicity also broke the silence for others. Twelve more former students came forward to the police with their own accounts of abuse.
“They thought they were the only ones,” Zia said. She and Yusron recently married. “It’s been really shocking for them to learn, like I did, that they weren’t alone.”
Sumar has since resigned from his position. While he held a press conference to deny the abuse, he did not deny that the voices on the recordings were his, arguing instead that his words had been misinterpreted and did not constitute a confession.
The NWDI has denied attempting to cover up the abuse, stating they are running an internal probe. The organization promised to protect students who come forward and ensure such incidents never happen again.
For Sukma, the arrest brings a sense of relief, though the journey is far from over. “It’s not about revenge,” she said. “It’s more the acknowledgement that what he did was wrong. I’m waiting for the day when he admits that himself.”