By Jacobus E. Lato / UCA News, OSV News
(OSV News) — A recent child abuse scandal that led to the closure of an Islamic boarding school and the arrest of its head cleric is a wake-up call for Christians to tighten monitoring and introduce reforms in their schools, Church leaders in Asia said.
The Catholic Church has been closely following the child sexual abuse scandal at the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic boarding school in Central Java province that came to light in the first week of May, said Father A. Kurdo Irianto, vicar general of the Diocese of Surabaya, which includes Indonesia’s second-largest city and covers parts of East and Central Java provinces.
“The Church is tightening management and strengthening Catholic values and child-friendly school regulations without ignoring students’ personal issues,” the priest told UCA News on May 8.
He was responding to the arrest of Ashari, the head of the Islamic school, who is accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls at the institution over several years.
The school was closed on the orders of the Religious Affairs Ministry, a senior official said on May 5.
Although a case was filed in 2024 against Ashari, who only goes by one name, it stalled after some victims withdrew their complaints.
However, a victim recently lodged a new police complaint, prompting fresh investigations. Hundreds of residents later staged protests outside the school demanding justice.
Ali Yusron, a lawyer representing the victims, said testimonies suggest the number of victims ranges from 30 to 50. Most are believed to come from poor and low-income families.
Police said the suspect was arrested while allegedly attempting to flee the province.
Father Irianto said the abuse case could not be viewed “simplistically” because many interconnected factors — including power dynamics, social status, economics and even religious doctrine — contributed to the situation.
“Our society is changing; many values are shifting or eroding, even in matters of faith,” he said.
“The problem is that education, which stands at the forefront of these social changes, must address all this while helping form a morally responsible generation in a decaying society. And that is not an easy task.”
He said Catholic schools already have measures in place to prevent abuse of students, but added that such safeguards should be reviewed in light of the Islamic school controversy.
Father Aloysius Widyawan Louis, former dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Widya Mandala Catholic University in Surabaya, said the scandal should prompt schools and families to reflect on the “complex issues” affecting society.
Families and communities are losing moral and ethical values amid rapid social change, he said, adding that the problem requires urgent attention.
A rights activist, who requested anonymity, said child sexual abuse in Islamic educational institutions such as boarding schools and Quranic learning centers is a serious problem that has not received adequate attention.
The activist said he had documented 48 cases involving 387 victims of sexual abuse, rape and related crimes in recent years, but most cases did not lead to trials or convictions.
An official from Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest moderate Islamic organization, described the scandal as the result of abuse of religious authority and weak oversight and monitoring systems.
Jacobus E. Lato writes for UCA News. This article was first published by UCA News and is distributed in partnership with OSV News.
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