Pati Police Chief Senior Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi stated that AS, the caretaker of Ndholo Kusumo pesantren, was arrested on Thursday at his hideout in Wonogiri District after evading police summons in Pati.
Wahyudi explained that the police had planned to issue a second summon today. However, because the suspect was no longer in Pati, officers decided to proceed with an arrest, which he described as a “forced pick-up” for questioning.
The police formally named AS as the suspect on April 28 after obtaining sufficient evidence and questioning witnesses, including AS, who by then remained a witness in the case.
However, despite the victims reaching 50 female students, only one had filed a formal report against the pesantren caretaker.
According to Wahyudi, some of the witnesses withdrew their testimonies after the suspect's side attempted to reach a settlement with them.
He said that the police welcomed other victims who wished to come forward and file reports, assuring them that their identities would remain confidential.
Earlier, authorities reported alleged sexual abuse involving at least 50 female students at the Ndholo Kusumo pesantren in Tlogosari Village, Pati District.
Most of the victims are junior high school students. Some are orphans or come from low-income families who depend on free education at the boarding school.
The case has gained national attention, with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka expressing his strong condemnation of the crime and assuring a "firm, transparent, and just" legal process for the victims.
The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) on Tuesday has also urged law enforcement authorities to immediately arrest the suspect.
“Police must act firmly and promptly, arrest the perpetrator, and disclose the facts of the alleged criminal violations transparently to the public,” KPAI Chairman Aris Adi Leksono said.
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Translator: Akhmad Nazaruddin, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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