WARNING: This article contains graphic sexual assault details.

Headmaster Detained After BBC Investigation into Alleged Sexual Abuse of Students

Former headmaster of Abul Barokat boarding school
Former headmaster Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar “Abah,” pictured with a water bottle outside a vehicle, is reported by BBC Indonesia.

In a case that has stunned the Lombok community, former headmaster Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar—who ran the Abul Barokat Islamic boarding school—is now in police custody following a BBC Eye exposé that alleges the abuse of multiple students.

The accusations, voiced first by two ex‑students, Ziadatur Rahmah “Zia” and Sukma Rohana Fajar, claim Abah engaged in repeated sexual acts with girls as young as 17, and that the school attempted to silence the victims.

Using a diary‑style document compiled by Zia, the pair sought validation from NWDI, the organization that managed the school. Instead of support, they were pressured to retract their claims, prompting the duo to record a phone conversation with Abah that was later provided to BBC journalists.

“Cover the shame of your teacher. Everyone makes mistakes, my child,” Abah’s voice can be heard pleading for silence in the private recording. He later held a news conference in which he denied all allegations, but acknowledged the recordings were not confessions.

After the BBC’s investigation was published, the police reopened the case. They detained Sumar and interviewed 12 additional former pupils, many of whom had previously remained silent out of fear.

Parents rushed to the school the day after the expose, with a mother saying she felt “so helpless” as she promised to relocate her daughter. The wave of new testimonies has forced NWDI to publicly deny a cover‑up and announce an internal review of its safeguarding procedures.

Abah, the ‘Abah’ of his students, has resigned from his position and stated that he will cooperate with the legal process, though his name remains in the headlines as a symbol of institutional failure.

This case, part of a broader conversation about sexual violence in Indonesian schools, has highlighted the crucial role of student vigilance, transparent institutional responses, and steadfast investigative journalism in bringing perpetrators to justice.