Layered Charges Applied to Kiai Ashari, Police Reveal Severe Penalties!

Pati, VIVA – The founder of Pondok Pesantren Tahfidzul Qur’an Ndolo Kusumo in Pati, Central Java, Kiai Ashari, has been charged with multiple counts carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years. Kiai Ashari is known to be a suspect in the alleged sexual molestation of female students. The imposition of these severe charges came after investigators uncovered evidence of repeated sexual violence against the victim over a considerable period of time. The Pati City Police Chief, Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi, stated that AS has been charged under the Child Protection Law for the alleged molestation of a minor. “(The suspect is charged under) 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 have also applied the Sexual Violence Crimes (TPKS) Law to the suspect. “Furthermore, AS is also charged under 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 added. Not stopping there, the police have added criminal charges related to intercourse with a child as regulated in the Criminal Code. “Thirdly, Article 418 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code on intercourse with a child, with a maximum sentence of 12 years,” he explained. The case came to light after dozens of female students were allegedly victims of sexual violence by a pesantren caregiver. The victim’s legal representative, Ali Yusron, stated that the report had been filed with the Pati City Police since 2024. However, he assessed that the handling of the case had proceeded quite slowly despite being accompanied by several pieces of evidence, including medical examination results. This incident has also sparked public reaction. Mass actions were reported on Saturday, 2 May 2026, as an expression of disappointment over the alleged case affecting the female students. “We demand that this be followed up as a preventive measure by relevant institutions on how there is supervision of educational institutions to intensify the implementation of good education and to be wary of deviations in the organisation of education,” said Cholil Nafis. Additionally, he highlighted the role of supervisory bodies such as the Majelis Masyayikh under the Ministry of Religious Affairs to be more active in monitoring and evaluating the conduct of education in pesantrens to ensure it remains in accordance with regulations and ethics.