Judges named for Acan family case trials

Judges named for Acan family case trials

JAKARTA (JP): The Bekasi District Court named the panels of
judges for the trials of 11 men charged with gang rape and
robbery over the weekend.

The chief secretary of the Bekasi District Court, J.A. Situru,
announced the three separate trials to be presided over by three
judges each on Saturday. The first panel of judges is led by
Judge Pieter Purba, with Mohammad Nawir and Samsudin Manan Sinaga
as members.

Pieter Purba is the deputy chairman of the Bekasi District
Court.

The second team is chaired by Suhartini, with Biller Pakpahan
and Martini also presiding. The third is led by Mrs. Pardede,
with Abdul Wahid Udin and Mrs. Asnawati as members.

The panels of judges were selected on the basis on their
seniority, Situru told The Jakarta Post.

He said that the trials will begin some time next week at the
Civil Servants' Hall, instead of at the courthouse.

Situru would not give the exact dates the trials will
commence, saying that the council of judges will discuss that
today.

The dossiers on the defendants in the gang rape and robbery
case were presented to the court by the Bekasi Prosecutor's
Office last Thursday.

The 11 defendants, aged between 17 and 23 years old, are
accused of raping the wife and two daughters of Acan, a resident
of Cimatis village, Bekasi, in July.

The defendants are also charged with stealing jewelry from the
family.

Thousands of people, including high ranking Jakarta officials,
have expressed sympathy for the family.

Many people have demanded death sentences for anyone convicted
of the rapes. However, criminal law stipulates only a maximum
sentence of 16 years in prison for rape, robbery and possession
of arms, Situru said.

Situru confirmed that the trials will be carried at the Bekasi
Civil Servants' Hall, where the court has constructed three trial
session rooms. "The rooms are now ready for the trials," he said.

The change in trial venue from the courthouse to the hall is
believed to have been motivated by security considerations.

In August, an angry mob attacked lawyers who were filing a
lawsuit against Bekasi police for unlawful arrest of the suspects
at the courthouse. The lawsuit was withdrawn after the attack.

An official of the prosecutor's office said earlier that at
least 100 anti-riot police will stand guard at the trials.

Twenty lawyers will be defending the 11 defendants. (03)