Causes of Low Reporting of Sexual Violence Victims in Islamic Boarding Schools: Patriarchal Culture Cloaked in Religion to the Veneration of Individuals

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) suspects that sexual violence in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) is akin to an iceberg phenomenon, due to the low number of reports from victims.

“The number of sexual violence cases in pesantren is not greater than those in universities, but cases in pesantren with multiple victims are strongly suspected to be the tip of the iceberg due to minimal reporting and strong pressure on victims,” said Komnas Perempuan member Devi Rahayu when contacted in Jakarta on Monday.

The commission highlights the emergency situation of sexual violence in pesantren environments, which shows patterns of repetition, spiritual-based power relations, and weak victim protection mechanisms.

In 2025, Komnas Perempuan recorded 475 gender-based violence cases in educational settings.

These cases occurred in higher education, religious education, primary and secondary education, as well as kindergartens and Islamic kindergartens, with victims who are students or university students reaching 972 cases.

“Specifically, cases of violence in religious educational institutions/pesantren reported to Komnas Perempuan from 2020 to 2024 total 17 cases,” said Devi Rahayu.

According to her, the sexual violence case at Pondok Pesantren Ndholo Kusumo in Pati, Central Java, with many victims including both administrators and students, shows a pattern of recurring incidents.

“The high number of cases in religious educational institutions/pesantren is inseparable from several factors, namely the existence of patriarchal culture cloaked in religion, which tends to venerate an individual or idolise someone,” she stated.

This is reinforced by the occurrence of spiritual-based power relations that make all actions by religious figures carried out with absolute obedience, accompanied by threats to victims.

Previously, there were allegations of molestation against at least 50 female students by the founder and leader of Pondok Pesantren Ndholo Kusumo in Tlogosari Village, Tlogowungu Subdistrict, Pati Regency, Central Java.

The victims are generally still in junior high school from class VII to IX.

Some of them are orphans or children from poor families who rely on free education at the pesantren.

Pati Police have named the suspect with initials AS. However, AS has several times failed to attend investigators’ summons.