Teachers to File for Review of Supreme Court Ruling in JIS Case
Jakarta. Two teachers, whose acquittals on sex abuse charges were overturned by the Supreme Court earlier this week, will file a case review against the decision, their lawyer said on Friday (26/02).
The two, Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman and Indonesian teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong, were originally sentenced to 10 years in jail for sexually abusing kindergarten children at the Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS), but were acquitted in August 2015.
The Supreme Court reimposed the sentence on Wednesday and added another year to their sentences.
"In response, we will demand that the Supreme Court reviews its verdict," said Patra Zen, a lawyer for the two teachers. "We will keep on struggling until justice is served."
Patra questioned the court's decision, saying that it appears to have been made in the context of a travel ban imposed on his clients. The travel ban expired on Thursday.
"Court rulings cannot be issued in a rush," the lawyer said. "We question whether the decision was already made based on proper procedures, and demand honesty from the Supreme Court."
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