A teacher calls to silence a student

Yusron Azzahidi's former head teacher, Ahmad Imanuddin Sumar, called his family home demanding he keep quiet about sexual assault allegations. Yusron was recording every word.

“"Cover the shame of your teacher. Everyone makes mistakes, my child."”

A confession over the phone

At university, Yusron's classmate Zia told him that their head teacher Abah had sexually assaulted her at age 16 in his house on school grounds. She described being kissed and touched before his child interrupted.

“"I felt very dirty, ruined, and I was lost."”

Building a case together

Yusron and Zia decided to gather evidence from other students. They collected accounts from classmates on WhatsApp, including from Sukma Rohana, who was still at the school.

Another student's attempted rape

Sukma, 17, said Abah asked her to his house for prayers, then covered her mouth and tried to rape her. She kicked him in the stomach and escaped as he searched for her with a torch.

“"He was feeling me up through my knickers… He tried to rape me."”

A seven-page document compiled

Yusron typed up detailed allegations involving Sukma, Zia, and four other former students. The group met with representatives from NWDI, the powerful organisation running the school, who promised to help.

The organisation betrays them

Three weeks later, Abah called Yusron. It became clear NWDI had passed Yusron's documents directly to him instead of going to police. Abah pleaded with Yusron to retract his evidence.

“"If this is leaked to the media… I'll be destroyed."”

Pressure on multiple fronts

Abah called Zia and admitted the abuse but begged her to stay silent. Sukma was summoned to his house where police and a lawyer forced her to sign a document denying everything.

Threats extend to families

Abah's wife warned Sukma the allegations would damage her marriage prospects. Abah asked Yusron's parents to find him at university. The stress became too much for Yusron's mother, and he stopped investigating.

“"Do you want this to haunt you for the rest of your life?"”

Love grows amid the struggle

While Yusron hid in a hotel, he and Zia grew closer through long-distance calls. He watched her struggle with trauma and fell in love with her as she processed what Abah had done.

A new activist inspires action

Eight months later, Yusron heard about Ayu Masruroh, who was raising awareness about sexual abuse in Islamic schools after helping a friend get justice. Zia posted on Instagram asking other survivors to come forward.

Abah offended again

A new survivor contacted Zia to say Abah had sexually exploited her almost a year after his promises to change. This proved to Zia that Abah had never stopped and had only lied to them.

“"It was all just lies."”

Parents finally give permission

Yusron's parents agreed he should help Zia and Sukma pursue justice. This time the group contacted Ayu, who connected them with a lawyer experienced in sexual abuse cases.

The lawyer recognises their evidence

Their lawyer Joko Jumadi was struck by the students' precision and courage. The secret recordings captured Abah admitting to abuse and pressuring victims to stay silent, making them exceptionally valuable.

“"These are key pieces of evidence."”

Sukma files her case

Sukma filed her claim against Abah to police in February of the previous year. She is still waiting for them to take action while Abah remains in his position at the school.

“"I don't want what happened to me, to happen to any other students. I want justice."”

Yusron moves to Cairo

After three years of messaging and calls, Yusron moved to Egypt to be with Zia. He said seeing her was like medicine after the intensity of dealing with police in Jakarta.

Trust built through shared struggle

Zia said she knew Yusron was serious when he travelled all the way to Egypt for her. Their trust was built on their shared pursuit of justice. Last month, the couple got married.

“"I trust him. That's why I'm with him."”

A pattern across many schools

Joko's team has handled 20 sexual abuse cases involving Islamic boarding schools in West Nusa Tenggara province over three years. He believes this is just the tip of the iceberg.