Afriyani Gets 15 Year Imprisonment Over Deadly Traffic Accident

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Afriyani Susanti, who hit nine pedestrians to death while driving a car in Central Jakarta in January, was sentenced to 15 years in jail on Wednesday.

The families of the victims were outraged upon hearing the verdict which they considered too lenient.

Judges said the defendant had been guilty of deliberately driving a car carelessly and recklessly causing deaths and injuries.

The judges however said that she had not murdered people on purpose. "Judge, I did not agree with the sentence. She should have been  sentenced to life," a member of one of the victims' family, Mulyadi, shouted in the courtroom.

In response chief judge Antonius Widyatmo while still reading the verdict said "those who are not satisfied please appeal," while asking security guards to take away those disrupting the session.

The prosecutor who had demanded 20 years in jail for the defendant said he would appeal the verdict while Afriyani's lawyer said he had not yet decided whether or not to appeal.

The prosecutor said that Afriyani had been driving under influence of drug when she hit 12 people nine of them dead on Jalan MI Ridwan Rais on January 22.

After the court session was closed members of the victims' families who were disappointed by the verdict attempted to attack the defendant while being taken out of the courtroom.

They even clashed with security officers when they tried to attack the car carrying the defendant away.(*/T007)