KPAI Urges Efforts to Rehabilitate Victims of Sexual Violence at Pesantren in Pati

The Chair of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Aris Adi Leksono, has urged the government to carry out rehabilitation for victims of sexual violence at one of the pesantren in Pati, Central Java. “We hope that the government will also take steps to rehabilitate the students suspected of being victims as well as other students who today we also suspect are experiencing trauma and impacts from the existing situation,” Aris said via voice message on Wednesday (6/5/2026). Aris stated that a psychological assessment needs to be conducted so that the impact of trauma from the sexual violence case can be identified. In addition, intensive counselling is needed so that the victims feel safe, comfortable, and willing to disclose the sexual violence they have experienced. Furthermore, Aris said that the regional government also has obligations in the context of psychosocial counselling up to rehabilitation, legal aid, and social assistance. “Therefore, this needs to be provided because it is mandated by the law,” he stated. From the law enforcement side, Aris condemned the sexual violence that occurred and asked the police to act firmly in arresting the perpetrator. “KPAI requests that the police immediately arrest the suspect and process them legally with the heaviest possible punishment, because they are a close person, in accordance with the law’s mandate to impose a one-third aggravation from the basic sentence, and also aggravated by the possibilities because there is allegedly repetition,” he added. Previously reported, the alleged molestation case against dozens of female students at one of the pesantren in Pati Regency has advanced to the investigation stage. The police stated that they have obtained sufficient preliminary evidence after examining witnesses and conducting scene processing. Pati Police Chief Kombes Pol Jaka Wahyudi mentioned that a kiai named Ashari was designated as a suspect on 28 April 2026 following a case review. However, the police claimed that the handling process after the 2024 report was delayed due to attempts at family-style resolution from the victim’s side. Although already designated as a suspect, the perpetrator has not been detained to date because he is deemed cooperative during the examination process.