20 years' jail, chemical castration for school head who abused kids

Head of Islamic boarding school in Java sexually assaulted 8 underage students

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In one of East Java’s toughest rulings on sexual abuse, the Sumenep District Court has sentenced the head of a local Islamic boarding school, or pesantren, to 20 years in prison and chemical castration for assaulting his students.

In a closed-door hearing on Dec 9, a panel of judges led by Chief Judge Andri Lesmana found 51-year-old M. Sahnan guilty of sexually assaulting eight underage students at the Darul Abror Islamic Boarding School in Arjasa district from 2016 to 2024.

The court imposed the maximum prison term of 20 years and ordered him to pay a five billion rupiah (S$388,000) fine, or serve an additional six months if he fails to do so.

Judges also issued a rare order for chemical castration and mandated electronic monitoring for a maximum period of two years.

The verdict further requires Sahnan’s name and identity to be published in national and regional newspapers.

The ruling exceeded the prosecutors’ request for a 17-year prison sentence.

Mr Hanis Aristya Hermwana, head of the General Crime Division at the Sumenep Prosecutor’s Office, said the chemical castration, electronic monitoring and publication of Sahnan’s identity will take place after he completes his 20-year prison term.

“The law stipulates that additional penalties are carried out only after the main sentence has been served,” he said on Dec 11, as quoted by Tribunnews.com.