Judges reject Sumanto's objections to indictment

Judges reject Sumanto's objections to indictment

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purbalingga, Central Java

The panel of judges hearing the case of alleged cannibal Sumanto
at the district court in Purbalingga, Central Java, rejected
defense objections to the government's indictment.

After hearing arguments from the defendant's 13-member defense
team, the judges unanimously accepted all the charges against the
defendant contained in prosecutor Kasmin's indictment.

"The panel of judges rejects the defendant's objections to the
charges and the trial is adjourned until next Thursday, at which
time we will hear testimony from witnesses," Sumardiyatmo, who
presides over the panel of judges, said on Thursday to end the
court session, which was attended by thousands of spectators.

Sumanto, 31, has been charged with theft of valuable property
and unearthing human remains without authorization, which carry a
total maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment under the
Criminal Code.

The defendant is alleged to have dug up the body of Rinah, an
80-year-old woman who died in January, cut it into several pieces
and eaten some of the flesh.

Rahmadi, a resident of Pelumutan village, where the defendant
allegedly committed his crimes, testified that he saw the
defendant carrying Rinah's mutilated body inside a sack.

"I knew that Sumanto was carrying Rinah's body because it
smelled very bad," he testified.

Nurcahyo, the spokesman for the defense team, said they
objected to the indictment because Rinah's body could not be
considered "valuable property", which Article 363 of the Criminal
Code defines as something having economic value.

He conceded that their client committed the theft, "but what
he was stealing was not precious goods like a car, gold or a
bicycle. And that is why we asked the panel of judges to acquit
the defendant of the charges and release him".

The next court session is scheduled for May 8, at which time
judges are expected to hear testimony from several witnesses and
experts, including a psychiatrist who has examined the defendant.

Sumanto shocked Indonesians last January when he admitted to
having eaten at least three human corpses to gain supernatural
powers.

He said that when eating human flesh, he cooked it, charred
it, fried it and sometimes ate it raw. The cannibal also admitted
to eating cats, dogs, rats and snakes.

He told the police he wanted to eat seven human bodies to gain
supernatural powers.