Victim's Lawyer in Pati Ponpes Molestation Case Claims Offered Rp 400 Million to Drop the Case

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Ali Yusron, the lawyer for the victim of the alleged molestation by AS, the caretaker of the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic Boarding School in Pati, Central Java, claims he was offered Rp 400 million by the suspect’s side. According to Ali, the money was offered so that he would agree not to continue the case that the victim’s family had reported to the police. Ali said that this bribery attempt came after a similar previous offer had been rejected by the victim’s family. Ali explained that the suspect’s side approached him while he was at a small shop to offer the money. “There were two witnesses, my friends, at the shop. ‘There is no lawyer in Pati who wouldn’t be tempted by money,’ he said something like that,” he stated. However, Ali emphasised that he rejected the offer and chose to continue supporting the underage victim. After rejecting the offer, Ali claims he instead faced direct intimidation. He said he was threatened by three people while in the parking area. “After that, I was threatened in the parking lot by three people. ‘If you expose this case, it will have big repercussions.’ I replied, ‘If this case touches your family, say your child, what would you do?’ They didn’t answer,” he said. Besides Ali, the victim’s father, initials M (52), also claims to have experienced intimidation from the suspect’s side after reporting the case to the police. Previously reported, the victim, initials K (19), mustered the courage to report because she suspected there were still many other female students who were victims of the alleged molestation by AS. “Yes, because there are already many other victims. My friends aren’t brave enough,” said K during the press conference. K said that the alleged molestation was experienced by her for about three years while in the ponpes environment.