Jakarta international school teachers to go free after conviction overturned
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Version 0 of 1. Two teachers convicted of sexually abusing three kindergarten students at a renowned international school in Jakarta are set to be released after an Indonesian court overturned the ruling, their lawyer confirmed on Friday. The controversial case, which saw Indonesian Ferdinand Tjiong and Canadian Neil Bantelman sentenced to prison for 10 years, sparked outrage among the international community in Indonesia when they were convicted in April. Speaking from court on Friday morning, lawyer for the pair Hotman Paris Hutapea told the Guardian the two men were hours away from walking free. “Yes, that’s correct: the ruling is overturned and they must be released from jail immediately,” said Hotman. “We are waiting now for the technical papers and we expect they will be released later this afternoon.” Employed by the Jakarta international school, which has since been renamed the Jakarta intercultural school, the two men have maintained their innocence throughout the legal proceedings. In a statement following the April verdict, Bantelman, who also holds a British passport, told the press the ruling was a miscarriage of justice. “We’ll continue to fight and appeal until the truth comes out, and the truth is that Ferdi and I never abused those kids,” he said. The conviction of Bantelman and teaching assistant Tjoing has been widely criticised, with supporters saying the Indonesian courts jailed the two men without evidence. “Can you imagine, in jail for 13 months without any evidence,” said Hotman. “This is totally about justice. This is now back on the clear road, there is no doubt, there was no evidence from the beginning.” The Jakarta intercultural school was founded in 1951 by United Nations workers, in partnership with the Australian, American and British (and at the time Yugoslavian) embassies, as a school for expatriate children. Earlier this week the school welcomed a decision by the Indonesian courts to dismiss a related $125m civil lawsuit filed against the school. The case was lodged by the parents of a former student who claimed their child had been abused by educators and school janitors on the school’s premises. In December last year, five janitors were found guilty of sexually abusing a child at the international school and were sentenced to between seven and eight years in jail, despite allegations they had been tortured in police custody. Related: Indonesia to deport 20 foreign teachers in wake of claim boy abused by cleaners Supporters and legal counsel for the school, who have launched a strong and sustained campaign to free Bantelman and Tjiong, have alleged their conviction was linked to the multimillion-dollar lawsuit. Prosecutors could still appeal the latest decision at the supreme court. The lawyer for the two men said Bantelman’s wife, Tracy, was overjoyed the ruling had been overturned. After informing her husband of the news, Bantelman had reportedly gone to the bathroom to shave and clean up before his imminent release. “By the law they should be released this afternoon,” said Hotman. “But this is the land of anything possible.” |