It Doesn't Matter If It's A Ponpes Teacher, Deputy Minister Of Religion Zainut Encourages Santri Victims Of Sexual Violence To Dare To Report

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Religion (Wamenag) Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi encourages the public, especially students and students to dare to report if they are victims of sexual violence. This appeal was conveyed by Zainut in response to a number of cases of violence that occurred in the country recently.

The most recent are 12 female students in Bandung, West Java, who became victims of the rape of a boarding school teacher (Ponpes) until they became pregnant and gave birth. Zainut hopes that similar cases will not happen again.

"Hopefully similar cases don't happen again. Encouraging victims to dare to report any suspicious or untrue actions from any person, whoever it is," said Zainut in a written statement received in Jakarta, Antara, Friday, December 10.

Zainut said the Ministry of Religion had revoked the operational permits of the MH Guna and MBS Cibiru Islamic Boarding Schools led by HW, the boarding school teacher suspected of committing the rape. The Ministry of Religion also gave affirmations to students and victims. They were sent home from boarding schools to be able to continue their education, either in madrasas, public schools, or the Salafiyah Islamic Boarding School Equality Education according to their choice.

"This effort is facilitated by the Regency/City Ministry of Religion according to their domicile," he said.

According to him, the Ministry of Religion will synergize with KPAI to provide assistance to children who are victims of sexual harassment. It also encourages the optimization of the Masyayikh Council's role in overseeing the quality assurance of Islamic boarding schools, including the aspect of protecting students.

"I support the police's firm action against the perpetrators and they will be given sanctions in accordance with applicable legal provisions," he said.

He said the community can participate in encouraging the formation of a vehicle for character education and moral development in the community and the pesantren environment. This participation is strengthened through Article 51 of the Islamic Boarding School Law.

"The Ministry of Religion invites Islamic boarding schools, Islamic organizations, and the community to improve guidance in the context of preventing the reoccurrence of sexual violence in the educational environment," said the Deputy Minister of Religion.

Previously, the West Java High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) stated that the teacher and boarding school owner with the initials HW (36) was threatened with 20 years in prison for his actions in raping 12 female students until they became pregnant and gave birth.

The Acting Assistant for General Crimes at the West Java Prosecutor's Office, Riyono, said that HW was now a defendant because he had already undergone a trial. HW is entangled with Article 81 of the Child Protection Law.

"The threat is 15 years, but it needs to be underlined that there is a weight there because as an educator, the threat is 20 years," said Riyono.

He explained that HW had allegedly carried out this commendable act since 2016. In this action, there were 12 female students who were victims who at that time were still minors.