List of Sexual Violence by Ponpes Founder in Pati Who Claims to Be a Wali

The founder of the Ndolo Kusumo Islamic boarding school (ponpes) in Pati, Central Java, with initials AS (52), has been designated as a suspect in a case of raping female students.

The following is a list of sexual violence perpetrated by AS against female students, compiled by CNNIndonesia.com:

Kissing lips and sleeping while hugging female students

One alumnus or former student opened up about the suspect’s deviant behaviour when meeting female students. This included shaking hands and kissing the lips.

“Deviant behaviour when shaking hands involves kissing the right and left cheeks, forehead, and lips,” said the former student, quoting detikcom.

He stated that AS’s lewd actions also involved hugging female students during encounters.

“When sitting with female students, they are hugged, and sleeping while hugging them—many people saw this, but it was allowed because the perpetrator claimed to be a wali serving the community. That’s what he claimed,” he continued.

Claim of being a wali and descendant of the Prophet

In addition to claiming to be a wali serving the community, AS also spread doctrine to the victims that he was a descendant of the Prophet.

“The doctrine is that the whole world belongs to Kanjeng Nabi, but it was added by him that the whole world is halal for Kanjeng Nabi and his descendants, so for example, if my wife is married to a descendant of Kanjeng Nabi, it’s halal. That’s the doctrine,” he explained.

Pregnant victims married to seniors

The legal representative of the female student, Ali Yusron, revealed that one of AS’s victims became pregnant and was then married to a senior student at the ponpes.

Ali said the case was reported to the police since 2024. According to him, the number of victims is estimated to exceed 50 female students. Ali stated that several female students became pregnant. However, he did not detail the number of victims who became pregnant due to AS’s heinous actions.

“I convey that when there are many victims, of course there are still victims. In this case, there are victims who even became pregnant,” he said.

Ali stated that AS then married the pregnant victim to an adult student.

“The one who became pregnant is an adult female student, according to the statements from the victim’s father and the victim. This one was married to an older congregation member,” he said.

According to Ali, the child from the victim has already been born and is also boarding at the ponpes.

“The incident has already led to marriage, and a child was born a year later. Not acknowledged, divorced, and married again to an older congregation member,” he continued.

Ali said that out of 8 victims, 7 of them withdrew their reports. Now only one victim remains who wants to expose the suspect’s barbaric behaviour.

“The most heartbreaking thing in this complaint is that there were actually 8 (victims), and 7 were pulled back by AS’s foundation, the suspect, and given positions as teachers at the ponpes,” he said.

“The one I’m representing is determined to uncover this case to bring it to light so that there are no more victims and to restore her child’s psyche,” he added.

When contacted for confirmation, the Head of Criminal Investigation at Pati Police Resort, Kompol Dika Hadian Widya Wiratama, said there has been no report regarding victims who became pregnant and were married by the suspect AS. Dika invited the victims to report the incident to the police.

Victims mostly still in junior high school

Ali also mentioned that the victims are mostly still in junior high school (SMP).

“The complaint involves 8 victims. Actually, from witness statements, the victims number more than 30 to 50 underage female students in grades 1 and 2 of SMP,” he clarified.

Victims threatened

Ali stated that the modus operandi of the kiai figure was that the victims had to submit to him if they wanted to receive his recognition. However, from there, the perpetrator instead committed indecent acts against the victims. This modus was done similarly to other victims. He also said the victims did not dare refuse because they were threatened by the ponpes caretakers.

In addition, Ali explained that the majority of students at the ponpes come from poor families and orphans. They stay at the ponpes to receive free education.

“The modus is that she (the victim) is recognised as his student and must submit and obey, but with the modus of molestation and even rape,” said Ali.

AS is not an ustaz, just the founder

Meanwhile, the Head of the Pati Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs Office, Ahmad Syaiku, stated that AS is the party who applied for permission to establish the ponpes.

“Mr AS is not part of the ponpes structure; he was indeed the founder, and the permission was from Mr AS,” said Syaiku.

According to him, based on information from the foundation, AS is not involved in the ponpes. AS is said not to be a caretaker, teacher, or ustaz at the ponpes.

“But Mr AS is not a caretaker either, not a teacher, not an ustaz. His status is founder,” he explained.

He stated that the ponpes caretaker is AS’s child.

“He doesn’t teach every day, and the caretaker is his child,” he clarified.

The ponpes currently cares for 252 students. Regarding permits, the ponpes has had permission since 2021.

“The operational permit was in 2021, and it has permission up to now,” he said.

“There are a total of 252 students, consisting of 112 girls and the rest boys. From RA, MI, SMP, and MA levels. So not only under the Ministry of Religious Affairs but also under the education office because there is SMP,” he revealed.

Previously, the police had named the suspect in the rape case against a female student with initials AS. However, AS has not been detained. In this case, it is suspected that dozens of female students became victims of the heinous behaviour of the ponpes caretaker figure in Pati.

The police are still searching for AS’s whereabouts. AS is known to have not complied with the examination summons as a suspect on Monday (4/5). As a follow-up, the police have issued a second summons to AS for examination on Thursday (7/5).

If AS fails to appear for the second summons, the police will immediately carry out forced pickup.