TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Jakarta Court held another trial on the Jakarta International School (JIS) sexual harassment case, presenting two defendants, Neil Bantleman and Ferdinant Tjiong, on Thursday, March 26, 2015. The defendants' lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, said that that a doctor's record from the KK Womens and Children Hospital in Singapore, confirmed that the victim had never had any involvement in sexual activities with the defendants.
Hotman claimed that the document overturn the allegation that incriminates the two teachers. "Doctors in Singapore have conducted thorough examination," said Hotman.
Neil Bantleman, a Canadian, and Ferdinant Tjiong, an Indonesian, were named as suspects on July 10, 2014. Both Bantleman and Tjiong were alleged sexually harassing three JIS kindergarten students. Prosecutor charged Bentleman and Ferdinant with Article 82 of Law No. 23/2002 on Child Protection. Both of the suspects are subject to 15 years of imprisonment and Rp 300 million fine.
Previously, Bentleman stated his defense that during his 17 years of teaching at the schoo, he had never received a protest. "Why is now any different?" he said.
RAYMUNDUS RIKANG
