Sexual Assault Case in Pesantren: Students Amid Shadows of Power Relations and Weak Supervision

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Cases of sexual violence have once again emerged in religious educational settings. The latest incident occurred at Pondok Pesantren Ndholo Kusumo, Tlogowungu Subdistrict, Pati, Central Java. Allegations of molestation up to rape have implicated the pesantren supervisor, Ashari, a figure who should serve as a protector for the students. He has been designated as a suspect since 28 April 2024, but has not yet been detained. Cases of sexual violence in pesantren are not new. Previously, a similar incident took place at Pondok Pesantren Majma’al Bahrain Shiddiqiyyah, Jombang, East Java, involving a kyai’s child. In 2022, its manager, Herry Wirawan, was sentenced to life imprisonment after being proven to have raped 13 female students, some of whom became pregnant and gave birth. This series of cases shows that the issues arising do not stand alone. There is a recurring pattern where students are in a vulnerable position, trapped between imbalanced power relations and a supervision system that is not yet fully robust. Chair of the National Commission on Anti-Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), Maria Ulfah, views this situation as reflecting the strength of power relations in pesantren environments. In a structure that places supervisors as authority figures, students are often in a difficult position to speak out. In the Pati case, the victims are minors still pursuing education at the junior secondary school/Madrasah Tsanawiyah level. “The perpetrator has a very dominant power relation as the pesantren supervisor, while the victims are his students, his pupils, and even their ages are still children, aged 12 years, up to 18 years as children. There is a power relation. But they are his students, so it is impossible for them to refuse,” said Maria when contacted by Kompas.com on Tuesday (5/5/2026). Member of the Komnas Perempuan Plenary Commission, Daden Sukendar, added that power relations are one of four main factors that cause similar cases to recur. In many cases, religious figures, pesantren supervisors, or ustaz are placed as figures who are almost untouchable by criticism, while students are required to be obedient and submissive. In addition, there is an unwritten culture of silence in religious educational environments. Fear of reporting, whether due to threats or social pressure, drives victims to choose silence to preserve the institution’s reputation. In many cases, the violence does not stop at the incident experienced by the victim. It continues in a quieter form, namely rejection. When victims finally dare to speak, the response they receive is often not empathy, but doubt. Even from those closest to them, victims’ stories are frequently dismissed by the belief that a respected figure could not possibly commit such acts.