After Assault, Female Student in Jepara Threatened by Pesantren Caretaker: If Your Family Finds Out, Your Parents Will Die

Erlinawati, the legal representative of A, the alleged female student victim of sexual violence by the caretaker of Pesantren Al Anwar in Jepara Regency, Central Java, revealed that her client and family were threatened by the suspect to not expose or report his heinous actions. The caretaker of Pesantren Al Anwar, now a suspect in the case, is Imam Abi Jamroh (60 years old). Erlinawati explained that A had been a student at Pesantren Al Anwar from Year VII until graduating high school. However, even after graduating, A continued to stay at the pesantren. “So at the pesantren, there is a two-year service programme for all alumni,” said Erlinawati when interviewed on Wednesday (18/5/2026). She added that A became a victim of sexual violence by Imam Abi Jamroh while undergoing her service period as a teacher. According to Erlinawati, A initially refused to stay at the pesantren after graduating. However, Abi Jamroh asked A to stay at the pesantren for two to three days a week. Erlinawati revealed that Abi Jamroh committed sexual violence against A in a drinking water storage shed within the Pesantren Al Anwar compound. To cover up his actions and silence A from telling anyone, Abi Jamroh used religious pretexts. “He threatened her to defend her kyai, to jihad for her kyai. The perpetrator also threatened by saying, ‘Later your knowledge will not be blessed.’ He also said that memorisations of the Quran would be lost,” said Erlinawati. Not only that, Abi Jamroh also issued threats involving the alleged victim’s parents. “He said, ‘If your family finds out, your father and mother will die.’ He also acted as if he was immune to the law by saying, ‘No one dares to hold me, no one dares to report me to the police,’ he said,” Erlinawati stated. Erlinawati explained that A has a younger sister and brother who are also students at Pesantren Al Anwar. At one point, A’s younger sister was playing with her older sister’s gadget. She then saw a link that turned out to have been sent by Abi Jamroh via an instant messaging application. The content of the link was pornographic material. A’s younger sister then reported it to their parents. On the pretext that a sibling had died, A’s parents asked her to come home. It was at that moment that both parents interrogated A about the meaning of the pornographic messages sent by Abi Jamroh.