ICM South Tangerang Teacher Detained: Police Question 8 Witnesses, Alleged Abuse Said to Have Lasted Three Years

Police have officially detained NA (49), a teacher at Insan Cendekia Madani (ICM) school in South Tangerang, as a suspect in an alleged sexual abuse case involving a minor. The detention came a day after investigators upgraded his status from reported party to suspect on Thursday (1/10).

South Tangerang Police Chief AKBP Boy Jumalolo said investigators had questioned eight witnesses in the case, some of them from the victim's family. "We are indeed handling an alleged abuse of a minor that occurred at a private school in the Ciputat area," he told reporters on Friday (2/10).

According to Boy, the suspect designation was the result of a series of examinations and deepening inquiries by investigators. NA is currently still undergoing intensive questioning. Police have not disclosed the details of the suspect's statement because the case has entered the substance of the investigation. "We will convey the suspect's statement later. This is still being examined," Boy said.

He added that investigators continue to dig into the statements of witnesses and the suspect to uncover new facts. "We are still in the investigation process. If we find new facts, we will convey them," he said.

The case began with a report from a female student at an international school in South Tangerang who was allegedly a victim of sexual abuse by a teacher with the initials NAA. The alleged acts were said to have occurred from when the victim was in the fourth grade of elementary school through junior high school, spanning 2023 to 2026. The incident only came to light last September and was reported to the South Tangerang Police on Tuesday (22/9) under registration number LP/B/3019/IX/2026/SPKT/POLRESTANGERANGSELATAN.

The founder and chairman of the supervisory board of the Edukasi Sejahtera Foundation, Tamsil Linrung, apologized for the alleged sexual violence at ICM. Tamsil, who is also Deputy Speaker of the DPD RI, said he had been following the case and described the alleged abuse by a teacher and bullying at ICM as a misfortune. The statement signals that the foundation is seeking to take moral responsibility, even as the legal process continues.

The case highlights gaps in the supervision of teaching staff at private schools with an international label. Alleged abuse that went undetected for three years raises questions about the effectiveness of internal reporting systems, whistleblowing mechanisms, and protection for students who dare to report. In many schools, the power relationship between teachers and students often makes victims reluctant to speak up, especially when the perpetrator holds a strategic position.

From a policy perspective, the incident reinforces the urgency of implementing strict background checks for every prospective educator, including periodic psychological assessments. Child protection regulations have in fact mandated this, but implementation at the level of individual education units is still often weak. Oversight by the education office of private schools also needs to be evaluated, especially those offering an international curriculum at high cost.

Police are still investigating whether there are other victims in this case. Investigators have also not disclosed whether the school had any record of previous violations by the suspect. The public is awaiting transparency in the legal process, including the possibility of stacked charges given that the victim is still a child and the alleged acts took place over a long period.

Just as important, this case is a test for Indonesia's education ecosystem in placing child safety as a priority. If even large schools still fail to supervise, what about students at institutions with limited resources? That question needs to be answered not only with the detention of a suspect, but also with systemic reforms that prevent similar incidents from recurring.