Jailed Teacher Convicted of Sexual Abuse Secretly Released Early in Indonesia, BBC Finds
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Jailed teacher convicted of sexual abuse secretly released early in Indonesia, BBC finds
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Watch: BBC tracks down abusive teacher secretly released early
By Endang Nurdin and Rebecca Henschke, BBC Eye Investigations
An Indonesian teacher convicted of sexually assaulting a student at an Islamic boarding school has been secretly released from prison early, a BBC Eye investigation reveals.
Moch Subchi Azal Tsani, or Bechi, as he is known, is the son of an influential Islamic religious leader. His trial sent shockwaves through Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country where millions of parents send their children to Islamic boarding schools.
He was arrested in 2022 at his father's school in East Java where he had taught, after a 15-hour siege involving nearly 1,000 riot police—his family's supporters had gathered in large numbers to prevent his arrest. He was sentenced to seven years in prison later that year.
The government withdrew the school's operating licence, but then President Joko Widodo intervened to keep the school open, arguing that the case involved an individual rather than the institution.
However, our investigation has uncovered further allegations against Bechi, 46, and evidence suggesting that the school and the family attempted to suppress them.
Bechi's release comes as the National Commission on Violence against Women warns of an "emergency" of sexual violence in Islamic boarding schools. It states that the power of religious leaders is shielding these schools from oversight and repercussions, while discouraging students from reporting abuse.
Of the several female students who alleged abuse and rape against Bechi, only one pursued a legal case that led to his conviction. Her identity has never been made public. Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence—16 years—for rape, but the court found Bechi not guilty of rape and convicted him for the lesser charge of sexual assault.
Undercover footage recorded by the BBC now reveals that he has been released after serving less than half his sentence.
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Bechi would have been eligible for parole around March 2027, or would have been released at the end of his sentence in 2029.
Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections told the BBC that Bechi was released in August 2025 because of "sentence remissions granted to him in accordance with applicable regulations." The ministry said it could not say why his sentence was reduced.
Ira Puspitasari was another student who testified at the trial, but her allegations didn't lead to separate charges. She waived her legal right to anonymity to speak publicly about this for the first time.
"I was treated as his slave," she says. "I was held captive, raped, beaten. I can never forget what he said to me: 'Don't you realise you're just my slave?'"
After watching the undercover footage of Bechi smiling and greeting supporters at an event in March, she tears up and says: "It's like nothing ever happened."