Ministry of Religious Affairs in Central Java Proposes Closure of Banjarnegara Islamic Boarding School Over Sexual Abuse Case
The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) for Central Java has submitted a proposal to close the Fathul Ulum Islamic Boarding School in Banjarnegara. This firm action follows the exposure of a sexual abuse case perpetrated by the school’s caregiver against several female students.
Based on monitoring conducted on Wednesday (1/7/2026), the case involving the suspect, identified by the initial N, 52, is currently under investigation by the Banjarnegara Police. The suspect was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta Airport shortly after returning from the Hajj pilgrimage.
The Head of the Early Education and Islamic Boarding School Division (PD Pontren) at the Central Java Kemenag Regional Office, Fatkhuronji, stated that officials were deployed to inspect the condition of the boarding school. Currently, activities at the school have ceased entirely. ‘The results of the on-site check show that the boarding school is now only occupied by the caregiver’s child and son-in-law. The last 12 students, consisting of 8 females and 4 males, were sent home after the caregiver was arrested by the police,’ said Fatkhuronji.
Fatkhuronji explained that the report from the Banjarnegara Kemenag office will be forwarded to the central Ministry of Religious Affairs. If a serious violation is proven, the operating permit of the boarding school, which has been active since 2011, could be permanently revoked. However, he stressed that the revocation cannot be carried out instantly and must follow administrative procedures. As an initial step, the ministry will deactivate the caregiver from all educational activities. ‘The process of imposing sanctions on the Fathul Ulum Islamic Boarding School is still ongoing. We are following the existing administrative procedures before proposing the revocation of the operating permit,’ he added.
To prevent similar cases from recurring, the Central Java Kemenag Regional Office plans to improve the system within Islamic boarding schools. One of the main points is changing the construction layout of the dormitories. The ministry has emphasised that female students’ dormitories are not permitted to be in the same building as the kiai’s or caregiver’s house. Additionally, regulations regarding ‘khodim’ students (students who serve the kiai) will be tightened. ‘The gender of the khodim must match the caregiver. If the caregiver is male, the khodim must be male, and vice versa. This is to minimise the risk of abuse,’ explained Fatkhuronji.
Meanwhile, the Central Java Office of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control, and Family Planning (DP3AP2KB) has begun providing intensive assistance to five female students who are victims. The Acting Head of DP3AP2KB Central Java, Faisa Mukti Henggar, stated that integrated psychological and legal assistance is being provided in collaboration with the Banjarnegara Technical Implementation Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA). ‘We are still thoroughly investigating the full chronology of events. Currently, all victims are under the protection of a joint team. Four victims are still active students, while one other victim is in her hometown in Kalimantan,’ concluded Faisa.