Bechi Teacher Sexually Abused Student, Returned to Jail
Mochamad Subchi Azal Tsani, known as Bechi, has been returned to prison in Indonesia after a government review found errors in his parole. The BBC investigation into his early release prompted public outcry and calls for scrutiny. The minister responsible said those who approved the parole would face sanctions.
Indonesia’s handling of sexual abuse cases in schools and religious institutions has come under renewed scrutiny after a government review reversed an early release. Mochamad Subchi Azal Tsani, known as Bechi, has been returned to prison after a BBC investigation exposed his parole.
Bechi was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2022 for sexually assaulting a female student at his father’s Islamic boarding school in East Java, where he worked as a teacher. The BBC reported that he was released on parole in August 2025, after serving less than half his sentence, without the former student being informed despite her legal right to know.
The review found “errors” that led to the parole being revoked. Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto said that officials responsible for approving it “will certainly face sanctions”.
The case has consequences beyond Bechi’s return to prison. It has prompted calls from lawmakers to examine how authorities handle abuse allegations in religious and educational institutions, where victims and those supporting them may face pressure or intimidation.
Review reverses Bechi’s parole
The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections had previously said that Bechi’s release followed sentence reductions granted in accordance with regulations. The BBC’s undercover investigation, however, triggered public outcry and calls from lawmakers for an investigation. The government then announced a comprehensive review.
“We want to make sure that such mistakes or irregularities do not happen again,” Agus said.
The former student whose case led to Bechi’s conviction said she cried with relief when she learned he was back in prison. She asked to remain anonymous.
“I pray that this doesn't happen to anyone else and that, going forward, the law will be applied justly in Indonesia,” she said.
Her account highlights the practical stakes of decisions about parole: the woman had not been told Bechi was released, even though she had a legal right to know. The government review has now identified errors in that decision, while the minister has said those responsible will face sanctions.
Ira Puspitasari, one of several former students who accused Bechi of abuse and testified at his trial, said the government’s attention to the case surprised her. She has waived her legal right to anonymity.
“I'm amazed, really. I didn't expect the government would pay such detailed attention to this case and really pay attention to us, the victims,” Ira said.
Hearing examines abuse allegations
Ira said that Bechi raped and sexually abused her for more than four years, from the age of 15. “I was treated as his slave. I was held captive, raped, beaten,” she said.
She said she tried to escape, but Bechi’s private security guards tracked her down, kidnapped her and took her to a secluded hut, where she said he tortured and raped her. Ira said she reported the abuse to police but was intimidated into withdrawing her complaint. She also shared an audio recording of Bechi’s mother telling her to say that “nothing had happened”.
The BBC reported that Ira became tearful while watching undercover footage of Bechi smiling and greeting supporters at an event in March, when he should still have been in prison. “It's like nothing ever happened,” she said.
Ira was invited to a parliamentary hearing this week on the state’s handling of sexual abuse cases in religious and educational institutions. The hearing was held in response to the BBC investigation.
Lawyer Joko Jumadi, who has represented several victims of abuse in educational institutions, told the hearing that authorities were often reluctant to investigate allegations involving “influential religious figures who have large followings”. He said he regularly faced threats and intimidation because of his work on such cases.
Bechi is the son of Islamic cleric Muhammad Mukhtar Mu'thi, founder of the Shiddiqiyyah Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java. Bechi was arrested in 2022 after a 15-hour police siege at the school, where supporters had gathered to prevent his arrest.
Prosecutors had sought a longer sentence after a number of students accused Bechi of rape. He was acquitted of those charges and convicted of the lesser offence of sexually assaulting one student. The BBC said it sought comment from Bechi, his mother and the boarding school but received no response.
The review’s finding of “errors” led to the revocation of Bechi’s parole.
