REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The United States Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake has expressed disappointment over the outcome of the legal process of the Jakarta International School (JIS) case.
"We have been closely following the case of the JIS teachers. Any case involving allegations of child abuse is sensitive," the ambassador was quoted as saying by the US Embassy in Jakarta on its official website on Thursday (2/4).
He said that serious questions had arisen in this case regarding the investigative process and lack of credible evidence against the teachers.
"In light of this, we are deeply disappointed with the outcome. We look forward to the next steps in the legal process, in which we hope all available facts in the case will be considered. We hope that the legal process, as guaranteed by the Indonesian Constitution, will be implemented in a fair and impartial manner," he stated.
Blake further noted that the broad international community was following this case closely. The outcome of the legal process and what it revealed about the rule of law in Indonesia will have a significant impact on the country's reputation abroad.
The South Jakarta District Court sentenced Neil Bantleman, a teacher at JIS, to 10 years in prison on charges of sexually abusing his student.
"The defendant is proven guilty of deliberately conducting violence, deception, and lies," Chief Judge Nur Aslam Bustaman said while reading out the verdict on Thursday.
The judges also fined Bantleman Rp100 million, failing to pay which his sentence will be extended for six months.
According to Bustaman, the defendant's complicated testimonies and denial of having committed the crime were among factors that worked against him.
The session, which lasted for eight hours, was attended by a number of his fellow teachers, including his wife Tracy who looked shocked upon hearing the verdict.
The sentence was lighter than the prosecutor's demand for 12 years in jail for violating Article 82 of Law Number 32 of 2002 on child protection.
Another teacher at the school, Ferdinant Tjong, is currently awaiting a verdict over the same case.
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