Doctor and psychologist face questioning
JAKARTA (JP): Forensic expert Mun'im Idries and senior psychologist Sarlito Wirawan are to be questioned by their respective professional associations for allegedly violating ethics in disclosing confidential information on the murder of 18-year-old Jakartan Marthadinata.
The chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), Agus Purwadianto, and the leader of the Indonesian Psychologists Association (HIMPSI), Enoch Markum, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that the associations would hear from the two professionals on the allegations.
Agus, however, said he had warned Mun'im over allowing the publication of the results of the post-mortem examination.
"We, as colleagues, have warned him. But he defended himself by saying that what he did (disclosing the post-mortem examination results to the media) was not breaching any ethical codes as he was just confirming reporters' questions," Agus said.
Mun'im was one of two forensic experts who performed the post- mortem examination on Ita, a senior high school student who was found dead with multiple stabbed wounds recently.
Mun'im told the media that certain drugs were found in Ita's urine sample and there were signs of sodomy.
Sarlito, a senior psychologist at the University of Indonesia, concluded from the post-mortem results that Ita had been sexually active and it was also likely that she was a drug addict.
"I can't give any statement at this time as we have to hear from Pak Sarlito first," Enoch said.
Enoch added the association was still waiting for the return of Sarlito who is reportedly currently in Australia.
"As soon as he (Sarlito) returns, we'll summon him," he added.
Sarlito admitted last week that he was telephoned by city police detective chief Col. Gories Mere a few hours after the police arrested Suryadi alias Otong for killing Ita.
The medical association is now waiting for official complaints from the lawyers of the victim's family before it can forward the case to the association's honorary council of medical ethics.
"If Ita's family or their lawyers lodge complaints with the association, we can ask the council to hold a meeting to discuss Mun'im's accountability," Agus said on the sidelines of the opening of IDI's new office on Jl. Palmerah Barat in West Jakarta.
Many people doubt that Ita's murder was a pure crime and have speculated that it was linked to an investigation into sexual assaults and rapes of Chinese-Indonesians during the May riots.
Ita was believed to be a key witness and victim in the May riots and rumored to be about to give testimony in the United States about her ordeal.
Strong calls, even from Minister of Justice Muladi, for the police to further investigate the murder, however, surfaced despite the police's efforts to ensure the public that it was a pure crime.
Munir, a lawyer representing the Volunteers for Humanity, accused the police, through psychology professor Sarlito and Mun'im, of attempting to steer public opinion for their own benefit by disclosing a partial analysis of the victim's background. (emf)