Defense lawyers fear safety, revoke lawsuit in rape case
Defense lawyers fear safety, revoke lawsuit in rape case
JAKARTA (JP): The defense lawyers of three suspects in the
Acan robbery and rape case revoked their lawsuit against the
Bekasi police yesterday, on the grounds that the authorities have
failed to guarantee their security.
Yesterday's session was supposed to be the final stage of
pretrial procedures being held to look into complaints lodged by
the defense lawyers, who are suing the Bekasi police for
illegally arresting the suspects in the Bekasi robbery and rape
case.
Eleven suspects were arrested last month on charges of having
robbed Acan and brutally raped his wife and two teenage daughters
in a small, isolated village in the Bekasi area, 30 kilometers
east of Jakarta.
Four lawyers, Petrus Bala Pattyona, Hendar Puji Astoro, Aidi
Johan and Ismail were beaten by angry mobs during the last two
sessions of the pretrial procedures last week.
The lawyers were stoned, beaten and kicked by a mob outside
the courthouse. Police and anti-riot troop were barely able to
protect them.
City police said on Monday that they would intensify security
for the last session.
City police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Permantoro said the
Bekasi Police District had prepared maximum security for
yesterday's trial.
In a letter sent to Bekasi Court, the lawyers also stated that
they regretted the judge's refusal of their demand to have the
suspects attend as witnesses during the last sessions.
In the earlier session, Judge Asnahwati told the lawyers their
request had been refused because the court considered the
presence of the suspects irrelevant.
Yesterday's five-minute session disappointed the Bekasi police
authorities, the suspects' parents, as well as the public, who
had been waiting for the verdict.
Capt. Edward Syah Pernong, representing the Bekasi Police
District, regretted the lawyers' decision.
"Why did they do it when the verdict was going to be read
out," he said.
The parents of one of the suspects, Iwan, also complained
about the lawyers' decision, especially since they were not told
about it.
"We didn't know about the decision to revoke the lawsuit at
all. We were not told," they said.
They said they wanted to know the final decision, even though
they might loose.
Thousands of people had been waiting for the verdict outside
the courthouse since morning. Some expressed their disappointment
over the lawyers' absence. (01)