Rise in Sexual Violence Cases in Islamic Boarding Schools: PKB to Convene Hundreds of Schools
The PKB party will hold a national meeting with 250 Islamic boarding schools (Ponpes) from across Indonesia to discuss the increasing number of sexual violence cases, especially within the pesantren environment.
Chairperson of the PKB’s DPP, Nihayatul Wafiroh, stated that the National Pesantren Gathering was held after receiving numerous complaints from pesantren regarding sexual violence cases that have recently come to public attention.
“There have been many requests, complaints, and also expressions of concern from pesantren throughout Indonesia regarding various cases of sexual violence that have occurred in many pesantren recently, which is certainly very worrying,” said Nini during a press conference on Friday (15/5).
She explained that the event is planned to be held in Jakarta, on Monday and Tuesday (18-19/5).
Nini said that they will also invite the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA), and the Police to sit together to find solutions regarding cases of sexual violence.
This is because, she said, many pesantren are struggling or need assistance from authorities when sexual violence cases are discovered.
“They are not able to handle it on their own, they need assistance. They may not know how to deal with it, what the procedures are, and what the legal procedures are,” she said.
“Because we really need a place, all pesantren need a place to share the conditions on the ground, the psychological conditions, and to find solutions together,” added Nini.
On the same occasion, Nini said that the issue of sexual violence in pesantren is also very complicated, because there are still significant power dynamics in its investigation.
“So it cannot be viewed from one side and the power dynamics are also quite high. So when discussing it, starting from the power dynamics between perpetrators and victims, religious power dynamics, political power dynamics, and so on, it is certainly a very complicated issue,” she said.
Previously, cases of sexual violence in pesantren have increased again, one of which was committed by Kiai Ashari in Pati, Central Java.
Kiai Ashari, who is the founder of a pesantren in Pati, had to face the law after being officially named a suspect in a case of alleged rape of dozens of female students.
Ashari was arrested by a joint team from the Pati Police, the Central Java Police, and the National Police’s Mobile Detachment (Resmob) at the Agung Purwantoro Mosque.
In addition, the Nurul Jadid pesantren in Mesuji, Lampung, was burned by a mob on Saturday (9/5), allegedly in response to allegations of abuse committed by the founder of the pesantren.
Most recently, the police named the caretaker of a pesantren in Mantingan Village, Tahunan District, Jepara, with the initials IAJ (60) as a suspect in a case of sexual violence against a female student. And a case of sodomy of a student resulting in a sexually transmitted infection (STI) by a pesantren teacher in Punjut, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).