Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar, the former headmaster of Abul Barokat boarding school on Lombok island in Indonesia, has been named as a suspect in a sexual abuse investigation and taken into police custody. The development follows a BBC World Service report that documented accusations of sexual misconduct against him and revealed how former students had independently gathered evidence to support their claims.
The investigation centers on two former students, Ziadatur Rahmah and Sukma Rohana Fajar, who launched their own fact-finding efforts after one of them disclosed an alleged assault. The students compiled documentation and approached school administrators with their allegations, but report facing pressure to recant their accounts. Secret recordings obtained by the BBC captured the former headmaster apologizing and requesting silence from accusers, though he subsequently denied all allegations and stated the recordings did not constitute confessions.
Following the BBC publication, police reopened the case and took statements from the two primary accusers along with 12 additional former students who came forward with their own abuse allegations. The revelations prompted immediate action from parents, many of whom traveled to retrieve their children from the school. The former students expressed surprise at learning their experiences were not isolated incidents.
The school organization, Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah, stated it had been conducting internal investigations and denied attempting to suppress the allegations. The organization pledged to implement safeguards and prevent future abuse. Sumar has resigned from his position and indicated he would cooperate with the legal process.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI