Indonesian Police Detain Former Islamic Boarding School Head After Abuse Allegations

LOMBOK, Indonesia — Indonesian police have named former Islamic boarding school head Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar a suspect in a sexual abuse investigation and detained him following allegations brought to wider public attention by a BBC Eye investigation.

Sumar, known to students as “Abah”, previously led the Abul Barokat Islamic boarding school on the island of Lombok. Police reopened the case after the BBC World Service reported allegations from former students and documented their efforts to gather evidence and seek official action.

The report triggered public outrage and prompted 12 additional former students to approach police with allegations of abuse, adding to concerns about student safety and the handling of complaints within educational and religious institutions.

Former students gathered evidence

The BBC investigation centred on former students Ziadatur Rahmah, known as Zia, and Sukma Rohana Fajar, who said they had experienced abuse or attempted abuse involving the former headmaster.

According to the report, Zia disclosed an allegation of sexual assault to former classmate Yusron Azzahidi while she was studying in Cairo, Egypt, and he was living in Jakarta. Yusron suggested gathering information from former classmates to support her account.

The students subsequently compiled a seven-page document detailing allegations and submitted it to representatives of Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah (NWDI), the organisation that ran the school.

The former students said they expected the organisation to support them but instead felt pressured to withdraw their accusations.

Recordings and allegations of pressure

The BBC investigation included secretly recorded conversations in which Sumar was reportedly heard apologising to former students and asking them to remain silent. He denied the allegations at a subsequent news conference and said the recordings did not constitute confessions.

Sukma also told the BBC that she had been forced to sign a document stating that her allegations were false. A separate recording reportedly captured a conversation with Sumar’s wife, known to students as “Umi”, discussing the document and the protection of her reputation.

These accounts form part of the reported background to the investigation. The allegations must still be assessed through the legal process, and the suspect’s guilt has not been established merely by his detention or designation as a suspect.

More former students come forward

Following publication of the BBC investigation, police interviewed Zia and Sukma alongside 12 other former students who also reported allegations of abuse.

The public response was swift. Parents travelled to the school to collect their children, with some coming from other islands after learning about the allegations.

Zia said the number of former students who contacted her and Yusron was far greater than they had anticipated. Several people reportedly told them they had experienced similar conduct.

Sukma said she was relieved that the allegations were being taken seriously, explaining that her aim was recognition of the alleged wrongdoing rather than revenge.

The growing number of accounts has increased pressure on authorities to investigate the claims thoroughly and establish whether there were failures in safeguarding or the handling of earlier complaints.

School organisation responds

Sumar has resigned from his position at the school and said he would respect the legal process, according to the report.

NWDI denied attempting to cover up the allegations and said it was conducting an internal investigation. The organisation also pledged to strengthen safeguards and protect students who come forward with complaints.

The BBC had contacted Sumar and his wife during its original investigation but did not receive a response at that time, according to the report.

Safeguarding and accountability in focus

The case has raised broader questions about how boarding schools and religious institutions respond to allegations involving children and young people in their care.

Effective safeguarding requires clear reporting procedures, independent investigation of complaints, protection against intimidation and access to appropriate support for those who report abuse.

The investigation also highlights the role that former students, journalists and legal representatives can play in bringing allegations to the attention of authorities. However, criminal responsibility must ultimately be determined through a fair legal process based on the evidence.

With police now pursuing the case and additional former students having come forward, attention will turn to the investigation’s findings and whether those responsible for any proven wrongdoing are held accountable.