Coordinating Minister Cak Imin: The Perpetrator of Molestation at Pati Islamic Boarding School is a Fake Kiai!

Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, or Cak Imin, stated that the case of molestation involving dozens of female students at the Tahfidzul Qur’an Ndolo Kusumo Islamic boarding school in Pati Regency is a serious alarm. He even assessed the perpetrator, who is the head of the boarding school, as a fake kiai. “What happened in Pati, by someone claiming to be a fake pesantren kiai, in my view, this must serve as an alarm,” said Cak Imin to reporters at the BP Jamsostek Plaza on Friday, 8 May 2026. Cak Imin even described the situation as an emergency in addressing violence in educational institutions, particularly pesantren. He then encouraged that every student receive training on their personal rights before pursuing education in pesantren. According to Cak Imin, many victims do not understand their rights, making them easy to manipulate by perpetrators. “The students, before starting pesantren, must receive orientation on their rights so they cannot be manipulated,” Cak Imin concluded. Previously reported, the founder of the Tahfidzul Qur’an Ndolo Kusumo Islamic Boarding School in Pati, Central Java, Kiai Ashari, has been charged with multiple articles carrying a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Kiai Ashari is known to be a suspect in the alleged molestation of female students. The imposition of heavy articles was carried out after investigators found allegations of repeated sexual violence against the victim over a considerable period of time. The Pati City Police Chief, Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi, stated that AS is charged under the Child Protection Law regarding the alleged molestation of minors. “(The suspect is charged with) Article 76E in conjunction with Article 83 of Law No. 17 of 2016 on Child Protection with a maximum prison sentence of 15 years,” he said on Thursday, 7 May 2026. In addition to the Child Protection Law, investigators also applied the Sexual Violence Crime Law (TPKS) to the suspect. “In addition, AS is also charged with Article 6 letter c in conjunction with Article 15 paragraph 1 letter e of Law No. 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes with a maximum prison sentence of 12 years,” he said. It did not stop there; the police also added criminal charges related to intercourse with a child as regulated in the Criminal Code. “The third is Article 418 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code on intercourse with a child with a maximum sentence of 12 years,” he added.