Expert adamant on cause of Lt. Dadang's death
JAKARTA (JP): A forensic doctor said yesterday she was prepared to put her job on the line in differing from official police reports on the death of a Bogor Police officer last month.
Police said a student mob stoned Second Lt. Dadang Rusmana, 43, during a break in a demonstration at Juanda University on May 9 and that he subsequently died of a head injury.
But Yuli Budiningsih Tjatur of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Bogor Hospital, who conducted an autopsy on Dadang's body on the day of his death, concluded he died of a heart attack.
She said yesterday she did not want the public to make hasty judgments on the alleged involvement of students.
"I hope the people do not easily judge the students by calling them evil and that they dared to kill a police officer."
A ruling could only come through a trial, she told reporters at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital here.
Yuli, also a lecturer at the School of Medicine of the University of Indonesia, announced Saturday her conclusion on the death of Dadang, head of the intelligence unit of Bogor City Police.
Police maintained Dadang died from a head injury sustained after a rock was thrown at him by students when he tried to intervene to rescue a military intelligence officer, Capt. Ali, from a student mobbing. Ali remains hospitalized.
Students have insisted they attacked Ali because he was disrespectful by entering the university's mosque without removing his shoes outside.
Eyewitnesses claim Dadang's body was not at the scene when they were dispersed by hundreds of police and military officers who entered the campus.
Yuli said her findings were supported by all of her colleagues, including a forensic expert from the Bogor Regional Police, Abdullah.
The latter also took part in the autopsy of the officer together with hospital staff and dozens of police officers.
"He told me 'Don't be afraid. I agree with you. Although I work for the police, I'm also a doctor'," Yuli said.
"I felt relieved."
Autopsy results have been submitted to the Bogor Police.
A police officer, she said, had visited her forensic laboratory recently and questioned an employee why the autopsy finding differed with the police investigator.
"'I'm the investigator, I have obtained confessions from the students that they hit the officer, and a reenactment has been held. This autopsy result has negated our investigation'," she quoted the officer as saying.
When asked for comment yesterday, Bogor Regional Police Chief Col. Abubakar Nataprawira said he had yet to study the autopsy report.
"I haven't read it but the confession of the three students and reenactment revealed that the students hit the police officer with a wooden bat, stone and stepped on his stomach," he told The Jakarta Post.
"Maybe Dadang had coronary disease and he died of shock after he was beaten. But to be certain of who was responsible for his death, let's wait for a court verdict."
Three Juanda University students have been named as suspects in Dadang's death.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar expressed concern yesterday over Yuli's public announcement. He told the Post that the doctor should have discussed her report with the local police before making a statement. (ivy/edt)