Judges reject Sumanto's objections to indictment<\/p>\n
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purbalingga, Central Java<\/p>\n
The panel of judges hearing the case of alleged cannibal Sumanto
\nat the district court in Purbalingga, Central Java, rejected
\ndefense objections to the government's indictment.<\/p>\n
After hearing arguments from the defendant's 13-member defense
\nteam, the judges unanimously accepted all the charges against the
\ndefendant contained in prosecutor Kasmin's indictment.<\/p>\n
"The panel of judges rejects the defendant's objections to the
\ncharges and the trial is adjourned until next Thursday, at which
\ntime we will hear testimony from witnesses," Sumardiyatmo, who
\npresides over the panel of judges, said on Thursday to end the
\ncourt session, which was attended by thousands of spectators.<\/p>\n
Sumanto, 31, has been charged with theft of valuable property
\nand unearthing human remains without authorization, which carry a
\ntotal maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment under the
\nCriminal Code.<\/p>\n
The defendant is alleged to have dug up the body of Rinah, an
\n80-year-old woman who died in January, cut it into several pieces
\nand eaten some of the flesh.<\/p>\n
Rahmadi, a resident of Pelumutan village, where the defendant
\nallegedly committed his crimes, testified that he saw the
\ndefendant carrying Rinah's mutilated body inside a sack.<\/p>\n
"I knew that Sumanto was carrying Rinah's body because it
\nsmelled very bad," he testified.<\/p>\n
Nurcahyo, the spokesman for the defense team, said they
\nobjected to the indictment because Rinah's body could not be
\nconsidered "valuable property", which Article 363 of the Criminal
\nCode defines as something having economic value.<\/p>\n
He conceded that their client committed the theft, "but what
\nhe was stealing was not precious goods like a car, gold or a
\nbicycle. And that is why we asked the panel of judges to acquit
\nthe defendant of the charges and release him".<\/p>\n
The next court session is scheduled for May 8, at which time
\njudges are expected to hear testimony from several witnesses and
\nexperts, including a psychiatrist who has examined the defendant.<\/p>\n
Sumanto shocked Indonesians last January when he admitted to
\nhaving eaten at least three human corpses to gain supernatural
\npowers.<\/p>\n
He said that when eating human flesh, he cooked it, charred
\nit, fried it and sometimes ate it raw. The cannibal also admitted
\nto eating cats, dogs, rats and snakes.<\/p>\n
He told the police he wanted to eat seven human bodies to gain
\nsupernatural powers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/judges-reject-sumantos-objections-to-indictment-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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