T

he Religious Affairs Ministry’s office in Depok is considering closing down Islamic boarding school Pesantren Mashadul Al Musthatobah in Curug, Depok, West Java, after allegations that its cleric molested a female student led to a mob attack.

The office’s head, Nur Muhammad, said that the final decision would depend on the police’s investigation of the cleric, identified as Fauzan.

“This has nothing to do with SARA [ethnicity, religion, race, and group affiliation] issues or intolerance. It’s just about Fauzan’s personal matters,” he said.

Nur visited the school on Wednesday, accompanied by Depok Deputy Mayor Idris Abdul Shomad, Depok Police chief Sr. Comr. Mulyadi Kaharni, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Depok representative Zainudin and Depok council speaker Rintis Yanto.

Idris agreed with Nur, saying that the school’s closure could be the best decision to solve the problem. “Residents demand the school be closed down and Fauzan not be allowed to return to the neighborhood again,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mulyadi said that the police had also arrested another suspect, a 15-year-old boy who dropped out of junior high school.

Mulyadi also said that some of the suspects were from the neighborhood of the female student who was allegedly molested by the cleric, while others were the friends of the suspects who came from other villages located far from the school.

None of the suspects were people from the school’s neighborhood, he added. “And, as of today, the mastermind was still at large. We’re still looking for the mastermind,” Mulyadi said.

The Depok Police previously identified 10 suspects in the attack. The suspects, who were mostly junior high school dropouts, could face up to six years in prison for violating Article 170 of the Criminal Code on vandalism.

The police held the suspects who were still in school at juvenile detention centers in the Beji and Cimanggis police precincts.

The police have also arrested Fauzan for the sexual abuse of a minor in violation of Article 81 of the Law on Children Rights Protection. He could face a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted.

A Religious Affairs Ministry representative said that the school was not registered and did not have an operational permit.

After the incident, all activities for the school’s 19 students have been moved to another school on Jl. Haji Nawi in Gandaria, South Jakarta.

Bojogsari district head Yudi Suparyadi asked all Islamic boarding schools in the area to be more open with the community to make it easier for authorities to conduct supervision.

“All community and neighborhood unit officers have to increase communication with their residents. This incident has become a lesson learned for us,” he said.