Allegations Of Sexual Abuse Of Santriwati At South Tangerang Islamic Boarding School Excluding, Former Teacher Reports Principal To Police

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Dozens of students are suspected of being victims of violence and sexual harassment at one of the Islamic Boarding Schools (Ponpes) in the Serpong area, South Tangerang (Tangsel).

Information was obtained from a female teacher with the initials A, who in the end she was expelled from the boarding school for trying to uncover the alleged molestation.

"That's right. I submitted 13 children (report) to the Ministry of Religion (Ministry of Religion)," said A in a short message, Wednesday, December 13.

A explained that it was originally revealed after seeing the unusual habit of female students who used to kiss the hands of the principal (Kepsek) of Ponpes with the initials H, wherever they met.

"Initially last December 2022, these children were used to the culture of kissing their Ustaz (Kepsek) hands," he said.

Therefore, he gathered his students who are currently entering adolescence to be given an explanation regarding this matter.

"So I feel because the children in this pesantren are teenagers, they must be limited," he said.

During the meeting, A listened to complaints from female students. At that place, he only found out if Principal H committed acts of sexual abuse to physical violence.

Several female students spontaneously confessed that there was a physical touch that was more than just kissing hands with Principal H. In addition to harassment, the students also mentioned the physical violence experienced.

"From there the children (santriwati) began to take out their children, some of them had teary eyes, some had cried. Then they told me, they said someone had been slapped, Ustaz also held our thighs, then our breasts were nudged, is it okay? " said A imitating the sound of the female students.

Hearing that many confessions, A was shocked. He then forwarded the information to senior teachers to be submitted to the foundation. Several videos of students' confession were recorded to strengthen the complaint.

However, A's efforts were not properly addressed within the boarding school. A then was desperate to contact parents, and accompanied them to make a report to the police, the South Tangerang Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) Office, to the UPTD for the Protection of Women and Children (PPA).

The police report was stated in the number: LP/B/2112/IX/2023/SPKT/Res Tangsel dated September 29, 2023.

Unfortunately, A's struggle ended tragically, where he claimed to have been expelled by the foundation for defaming the good name of the boarding school.

"So the management defended the Principal more than my statement. I was released in October 2023 yesterday," he concluded.