Headmaster of Indonesian Boarding School Detained Over Sexual Abuse Allegations

In the wake of a BBC investigation, former headmaster Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar – known to his students as Abah – was arrested by Indonesian police following claims that he sexually abused pupils at the Abul Barokat boarding school on Lombok island.

The case came to light when two ex‑students, Ziadatur Rahmah (Zia) and Sukma Rohana Fajar, launched an inquiry after Zia confided that she was sexually assaulted by Sumar when she was 17. They gathered testimony, recorded phone calls and produced a seven‑page dossier that was turned in to the school’s managing body, the Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah (NWDI).

Instead of supporting the students, NWDI reportedly pressured them to retract their claims. The BBC’s Eye programme released a secretly‑recorded conversation in which Sumar pleaded to protect his reputation and tried to silence the accusers.

After the BBC story ran, the school was flooded with complaints. Parents rushed to remove their children, and twelve former students came forward with identical allegations. The police subsequently interviewed the victims and detained Sumar, who has stepped down from his post.

NWDI denied any cover‑up and said it was conducting its own investigation. The school vowed to implement new safeguards to prevent abuse and to support students who speak out.

Image Source: BBC Indonesia