ع
Zia and Yusron, who were star pupils at the Abu Barokat boarding school in Lombok run by the Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah organisation, have married after collaborating on allegations that the school’s head teacher Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar, known as Abah, sexually assaulted them and at least four other students. The pair reconnected years later while studying at universities in different countries and shared their experiences of the alleged abuse that occurred when they were teenagers, according to a BBC Eye Investigations report. Yusron compiled a seven-page document detailing the claims from the victims including another woman named Sukma, and the group presented it to representatives of the NWDI, the BBC report stated. The development comes as Indonesian authorities have stepped up efforts to address sexual violence in Islamic boarding schools across the archipelago.
A study by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta found that 1.06 percent of Indonesia’s roughly 43,000 pesantren show high vulnerability to sexual violence, with male students facing a 1.9 percent risk compared to 0.2 percent for females. Komnas Perempuan data places the rate of sexual violence in pesantren at three times higher than in regular schools, accounting for 16 percent of all reported gender-based violence cases in educational settings between 2015 and 2021. The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs established a task force in 2025 to prevent and handle violence in pesantren following a series of high-profile cases, a ministry announcement confirmed. Local child protection agencies in Lombok have recorded multiple incidents involving pesantren leaders, with one 2023 case in East Lombok alone implicating a school official in the alleged abuse of 41 female students.
Sukma filed a police complaint against Abah in February 2025 but authorities have yet to act while he remains in his position, the BBC investigation reported. The NWDI told the BBC it was conducting an internal investigation into the allegations and denied any attempt to cover up claims of sexual abuse. In a statement the organisation said it had a duty to safeguard itself from being tarnished by the alleged actions of individuals. Yusron had messaged Abah directly after gathering the testimonies, prompting the head teacher to plead with him to stay silent in an audio recording obtained by the BBC.
Zia, studying in Cairo, confided in Yusron during one of their phone calls about the assault she endured at age 16, according to the BBC account. The shared pursuit of accountability strengthened their bond over three years of communication before Yusron relocated to Egypt in February 2026 to be with her. Zia told the BBC she was so happy when Yusron arrived that she started talking non-stop. That’s when I knew he was serious, she said. He had come all the way to Egypt for me. I trust him. That’s why I’m with him.
The couple married last month, capping a relationship forged in their mutual quest for justice against the man they say betrayed their trust as students, the BBC reported. Sukma told the BBC she does not want what happened to her to happen to any other students and that she wants justice. Multiple similar cases have surfaced in Lombok in recent years, including one in West Lombok where a pesantren leader was accused of abusing 22 students between 2015 and 2023, local media outlets reported. Indonesian police have pursued several of these cases but convictions remain rare due to cultural pressures and institutional resistance, according to child protection advocates.
