A man who served as the principal of an Indonesian Islamic boarding school has been detained by police as a suspect in a sexual abuse case, following a report by *BBC Eye*.
Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar—known to his students as "Abah" (a term of endearment meaning "Father")—previously led the Abul Barokat boarding school on the island of Lombok.
The BBC World Service uncovered allegations of sexual abuse against him and documented how several former students gathered evidence to present to the authorities. Following this, the police reopened the investigation.
The report sparked public outrage and prompted 12 additional former students to come forward and provide testimony to the police.
Warning: This report contains content regarding sexual abuse.
For audiences outside the UK, the documentary *Catching My Teacher* is available to watch on YouTube.
Student Detectives
At the heart of the *BBC Eye* investigation are two former students: Ziadatur Rahmah (known as "Zia") and Sukma Rohana Fajar.
After Zia confided in a former classmate, Yusron Azzahidi, that the principal had sexually assaulted her when she was 17, the two—both of whom had been model students at the school—began their own investigation.
At the time, Zia was studying in Cairo, Egypt, while Yusron was in Jakarta.
Yusron suggested that they gather evidence to support Zia’s allegations. In the process of reaching out to other former classmates, they connected with Sukma, who alleged that "Abah" had attempted to rape her while at the school. Yusron compiled a seven-page document detailing the allegations and handed it to a representative of Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah (NWDI)—the Islamic educational organization that operates the school.
The students had expected the school to support them; instead, they say they were pressured to retract their accusations.
In a secretly recorded phone call, "Abah" pleaded with Yusron to protect him and his reputation.
"Cover up this shame for your teacher. Everyone makes mistakes, my child," "Abah" said.
"Abah" also reached out to Zia. Zia secretly recorded their conversation and shared it with the BBC.
In the recording, "Abah" can be heard apologizing while simultaneously begging her to remain silent.
Following the publication of the BBC’s investigation, "Abah" held a press conference to deny all allegations. He did not deny that the voice in the recordings was his, but claimed that the recordings did not constitute an admission of guilt.
Sukma told the BBC that she had been forced to sign a document stating that her allegations were lies. She later secretly recorded a conversation with "Abah’s" wife—whom the students refer to as "Umi," meaning "Mother."
In that recording, "Umi" tells Sukma that the document was intended to protect "his reputation."
With the support of Joko Jumadi, a lawyer experienced in handling similar cases, the former students resumed their pursuit of justice.
Watch: The BBC tracks down an abusive teacher who was granted an early, secret release.
More students come forward
The day after the BBC’s investigation was published, parents arrived at the school to take their children home—some traveling from other islands.
One mother said she burst into tears upon hearing the news, thinking of her own daughter.
"I’m taking her away right now," she said. "I absolutely want my child out of this school."
Yusron said that he and Zia—who were recently married—were stunned by the response from former students.
"It far exceeded our expectations," he said. "So many people reached out to us via Instagram and WhatsApp. They contacted Zia and me directly, and many said, 'I am a victim, too.'"
In addition to interviewing Zia and Sukma, the police have spoken with 12 other former students who have come forward with allegations of abuse.
"They had assumed they were the only victims. Discovering—just as I did—that they were not alone came as a huge shock to them," Zia said.
Sukma expressed a sense of relief and gratitude that these allegations are finally being taken seriously.
"This isn't about revenge. It’s about acknowledging that what he did was wrong. I have been waiting for the day he would admit it himself," she told the BBC.
"Abah" has resigned from his position at the school and stated that he will respect the legal process.
The BBC reached out to "Abah" and his wife during the initial investigation, but they did not respond at the time.
NWDI has denied any attempt to cover up the allegations and stated that it has launched an internal investigation. The organization emphasized its responsibility to protect itself from being tarnished by the alleged actions of an individual.
Following the BBC’s investigative report, NWDI pledged to ensure that such abuse does not happen again and committed to safeguarding the rights of the students who have come forward with these allegations.