Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Jakarta Police decision to finally detain two staffers of
the Jakarta International School (JIS) in connection with a sexual
assault case involving kindergarten pupils, was hailed by officials and
parents.
"We convey our appreciation to the police for tackling sexual
assault cases at the JIS and other places. We see some progress," the
Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) chairman, Asrorum Niam
Sholeh, remarked at the police headquarters recently.
After grilling the two suspects identified by their initials as NB,
a Canadian national, and FT, an Indonesian citizen, and obtaining
adequate evidence, the Jakarta police detained the two school staffers,
who were named suspects on July 10, 2014.
"We have decided to detain the two suspects," spokesman of the
Jakarta Police senior commissioner, Rikwanto, stated in short text
message recently.
"There was a statement of a witness saying that a pupil had seen the
victim being assaulted. We also have the medical report and more than
two pieces of evidence," Rikwanto added.
The police are continuing the investigation and there might be another suspect, he stated.
The Jakarta Police had earlier named several suspects identified as
Agun, Awan, Zainal, Syahrial, and a woman with the initials AS.
Another suspect named Azwar had committed suicide in police custody.
The suspects were outsourced janitors, who allegedly abused AK, a
six-year-old kindergarten pupil in a toilet of the school in February
and March 2014. The child, who was locked inside the toilet during his
ordeal, contracted herpes and a bacterial infection after being
sodomized.
In addition to the AK case, the Jakarta police later also received
another report of a sexual assault involving a kindergarten student
identified as DA at the same international school.
The KPAI chairman, Sholeh, expressed his relief that the police were
finally able to find adequate evidence to name two JIS staffers as
suspects.
He had discussed, with the National Police, the planned revision of
the law on child protection to strengthen measures against sexual
abuse, Sholeh stated.
The existing law was not strong enough to deter sexual criminals, he pointed out.
"We will continue to coordinate and ensure that the legal process
runs smoothly. Despite pressures, we hope the police will continue to
work professionally, and the National Police Chief will pay special
attention to it," he emphasized.
More support for the police came from presidium chairman of the
Indonesia Police Watch (IPW), Neta S Pane, who asked police to work
professionally and ignore the 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 has 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 subject to heavy punishment in
the three foreign countries - the US, Australia and Britain - that
founded the JIS, he said.
If the sexual assaults had happened in those countries, the perpetrators would have been punished heavily, he believed.
The JIS management and its three founding embassies protested the
detention of the two school staffers, the Jakarta Globe reported on July
15.
"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.
"We believe JIS and its teachers have closely cooperated with police
authorities, and we are surprised at these developments, given the
presumption of innocence in Indonesian law," it continued.
JIS has also voiced strong objection to the detention.
"The accusation is baseless and without evidence - very concerning.
Were disappointed and very sad," Dino Vega, a school patron, said
recently.
"Weve declared, today, our commitment to supporting Neil and
Ferdinan. Were calling on the police to reconsider the decision to
detain them," she was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe.
Both school staffers underwent physical examinations and laboratory
tests at the Soekanto National Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East
Jakarta, recently.
Psychological examinations and lie detector tests were also scheduled for the suspects, Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said.
The police would question the principal of the JIS kindergarten,
Elsa Donohue, a US citizen, probably as a witness in the case, he
added.
In connection with the case, the JIS Principal, Timothy Carr, and
the schools kindergarten teacher, Murphy, had also been questioned
earlier by police investigators.
They were accompanied by counselor of the US Embassy in Jakarta for Consular Affairs, Thurmond H. Borden.
Borden informed journalists that he had the right to accompany and
witness the Jakarta metropolitan police investigators question a US
citizen to ensure that he or she got fair treatment, and the process was
carried out as ruled by the law.
Denying that his presence in the questioning session of Murphy was
an intervention in the Indonesian police investigation, he argued that
accompanying a US citizen involved in a legal case was valid.
Four JIS teachers were allegedly involved in the sexual assault
case, and the police have requested the Jakarta immigration office to
prevent them from leaving the country.
Police Make Progress in Probe Over JIS Sexual Assault Case
Sabtu, 19 Juli 2014 20:01 WIB