Doctor and psychologist face questioning

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)