Police Should Ignore Foreign Embassies` Protest: IPW

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Presidium Chairman of the Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) Neta S Pane has asked police to work professionally in handling the sexual assault case allegedly involving two staffers of the Jakarta International School (JIS) and ignore a protest made by three foreign embassies concerning the arrest of the school staffers.

"The protest made by the three embassies is normal. The police must work professionally and proportionally. Dont be afraid of the embassies," Neta S Pane said.

"What the police have done by arresting two JIS staffers is an appropriate step, although rather late. The police must not be afraid of arresting the foreign teachers," he said.

Pedophilia is a serious crime and given heavy punishment in the three foreign countries - the US, Australia and Britain - that founded the JIS, he said.

He believed that if the sexual assaults happened in those countries, the perpetrators would have been punished heavily.

The Jakarta Police has arrested two JIS staffers identified by the initials NB and FT of the JIS in connection with the sexual assault case involving two kindergarten pupils.

"We have decided to detain the two suspects," spokesman of the Jakarta Police Senior Commissioner Rikwanto stated in short text message received on July 15, 2014.

The police had grilled the two suspects and obtained adequate evidence to detain them, he reported.

NB, a Canadian national, and FT, an Indonesian citizen, were named suspects on July 10, 2014.

"There was a statement of a witness saying that a pupil had seen the victim being assaulted. We also have the post mortem result and more than two other evidences," Rikwanto added.

The police continued the investigation and there might be another suspect, he stated.

Meanwhile, the Jakarta Globe reported on July 15 that the JIS management and its three founding embassies protested the detention of the two school staffers.

"As the three founding embassies of the Jakarta International School, we are deeply concerned about the detention of several JIS teachers last night," the US, Australian and British embassies in Jakarta said in a press statement. (WDY)