BBC finds Indonesian teacher convicted of sexual abuse released early

September 21, 2026 at 04:12 AM3 min

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Moch Subchi Azal Tsani, an Indonesian teacher convicted of sexually assaulting a student, was secretly released from prison in August 2025 after serving less than half his seven-year sentence, a BBC Eye investigation found. The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections confirmed the release, citing sentence remissions granted under applicable regulations. The case has drawn renewed attention amid warnings from the National Commission on Violence against Women about an 'emergency' of sexual violence in Islamic boarding schools.

Key Facts

Bechi was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2022 for sexual assault of a student at his father's Islamic boarding school in East Java.
The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections confirmed Bechi was released in August 2025 due to sentence remissions, but could not say why the sentence was reduced.
Bechi would have been eligible for parole around March 2027 or released at the end of his sentence in 2029.
Former student Ira Puspitasari, who testified at the trial, said she was raped and sexually abused by Bechi for more than four years starting when she was 15.
The National Commission on Violence against Women warns of an 'emergency' of sexual violence in Islamic boarding schools, citing the power of religious leaders as a shield from oversight.

Secret Early Release

Undercover footage recorded by the BBC shows Bechi smiling and greeting supporters at an event in March, despite being sentenced to seven years in prison in 2022. 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. Bechi would have been eligible for parole around March 2027, or would have been released at the end of his sentence in 2029.

Allegations and Suppression

The BBC investigation uncovered further allegations against Bechi, 46, and evidence suggesting that the school and the family attempted to suppress them. Of the several female students who alleged abuse and rape against Bechi, only one pursued a legal case that led to his conviction. Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence of 16 years for rape, but the court found Bechi not guilty of rape and convicted him for the lesser charge of sexual assault. Ira Puspitasari, another student who testified at the trial, waived her legal right to anonymity to speak publicly for the first time, saying she was treated as his slave, held captive, raped, and beaten.

Wider Crisis in Boarding Schools

Bechi's release comes as the National Commission on Violence against Women warns of an 'emergency' of sexual violence in Islamic boarding schools. The commission says the power of religious leaders is shielding these schools from oversight and repercussions, while discouraging students from reporting abuse. Bechi was arrested in 2022 at his father's school in East Java after a 15-hour siege involving nearly 1,000 riot police, as family supporters gathered to prevent his arrest. 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.