Children testify in Rohadi family murder case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A child witness told a district court here
\nyesterday that she crossed paths with the main suspect in the
\nRohadi family murder case on her way home from school minutes
\nbefore she learned about the killings.<\/p>\n
\"I saw him carrying a klewang (a kind of sword) accompanied by
\nthe two boys,\" Nurhayati said, indicating pictures of the main
\nsuspect Philipus Kia Lejab, 47, a neighbor of Rohadi, and two
\nboys, when asked to identify the man.<\/p>\n
The 11-year-old witness said she noticed the three people when
\naccompanying Rohadi's 10-year-old daughter Meike Puspitasari home
\nfrom school at 12.30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Meike, who also appeared as a witness in the trial, said she
\nsaw peanuts scattered in her front yard which she picked up and
\nate with Nurhayati, oblivious of what she was about to encounter.<\/p>\n
As she walked into her house she saw her mother and three
\nsiblings lifeless on the floor, soaked in blood.<\/p>\n
\"Help!\" she cried out running out of her house while managing
\nto snatch Erica Priscilla, her 1-year-old sister, whose neck was
\nstrangled with a scarf.<\/p>\n
Six other witnesses testified in the tightly guarded East
\nJakarta district court in Pulo Mas. The murder of Rohadi's wife
\nand his three children is believed to have occurred around noon
\non Oct. 2, 1995 in Rohadi's home in the eastern Jakarta district
\nof Bambu Apus.<\/p>\n
The two court hearings yesterday were held to process
\nPhilipus, his wife, Suparmi, and another closed-hearing to
\nprocess the under-age Albertus, Lambertus and Clemence.<\/p>\n
None of the eight witnesses in yesterday's hearing, however,
\nactually saw the murder of the Rohadi family.<\/p>\n
Witness Mrs. Iwan, 45, told the court that she was the first
\nadult to hear Meike's terrified scream but she dared not enter
\nRohadi's house.<\/p>\n
\"Instead I ran back and screamed too,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Witness Mrs. Anna, 37, told the court that she heard the
\nscreaming frenzy and rushed toward Rohadi's house when she bumped
\ninto Meike carrying her little sister.<\/p>\n
She immediately asked for help from her husband, Rukmanda, who
\nloosened the scarf and saved the baby's life.<\/p>\n
Two other witnesses, Namin and Rukmanda, told the court that
\nthe police's tracking dogs headed in the direction of Philipus'
\nhouse during an inspection.<\/p>\n
The two other witnesses were Namin, the neighborhood community
\nleader and Rukmanda.<\/p>\n
Earlier, responding to an objection from Suparmi's defense
\nlawyers, the judge decided to continue the case. The defense
\nlawyers considered the prosecutor's indictment to be unclear and
\nincomplete.<\/p>\n
The trials were adjourned until next Monday. (14)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/children-testify-in-rohadi-family-murder-case-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }