Gang rape verdict to be read on March 25

Gang rape verdict to be read on March 25

JAKARTA (JP): The fate of the 11 defendants being tried at the
Bekasi District Court on charges of gang rape and robbery will be
decided on March 25, presiding judge Pieter Poerba said in one of
three separate hearings yesterday.

The 15 defense lawyers are still adamant that all the
defendants are innocent and that the police arrested the wrong
people. But the prosecutors insisted that they should be
sentenced 12 to 16 years imprisonment.

The defendants, aged between 17 and 23, are accused of raping
a mother and her two daughters and stealing their jewelry in July
last year in Cimatis, Bekasi, 30 km southeast of the city in an
incident that incited public outcry.

The court also turned down a request from the defense lawyers
yesterday that another session be opened to hear the testimony of
Amin, a prisoner in Bulak Kapal jail, who the defendants claimed
knows everything about the crime.

"According to the law, a judge is obliged to hear the request
by defendants and lawyers to present any witness," lawyer
Christian Raharjaan said.

"Amin has nothing to do with the case even if presenting him
is correct according to the law," Poerba countered. He added that
the decision was also made because the lawyers had said in
earlier sessions that they had presented enough witnesses.

Yesterday's redress by the defense lawyers also countered the
prosecutors' statement of last week that the suspects were not
coerced into putting their signatures on the dossiers.

"The prosecutors cannot prove when and where the suspects
signed the dossiers," lawyer Masruri said.

He said that as the suspects were interrogated in different
places prosecutor Syaman Ritonga would have found it difficult to
accompany them. (03)