Lawyers bear brunt of Bekasi court violence

Lawyers bear brunt of Bekasi court violence

By T. Sima Gunawan

JAKARTA (JP): Two lawyers were beaten black and blue by an
angry mob early this week. Their mistake: Defending three men
accused of gang-raping a woman and her two teenage daughters.

Lawyers Petrus Bala Pattyona and Hendar Puji Astoro were
stoned, hit, kicked and trampled outside the Bekasi District
Court, about half-an-hour's drive from Jakarta. The police tried
to protect the lawyers but were ineffective when nearly 2,000
people launched their attack.

The lawyers were representing three of the nine people
suspected of raping Acan's wife and two daughters on July 24.
Jakartans were enraged when they learned of the rape, condemning
the rapists and demanding heavy punishment for the criminals.

A huge crowd jammed the compound when the court started
examining the case early this month. They yelled at the lawyers
but there was no violence. Lawyer Petrus became anxious when
death threats emerged and therefore asked for police protection.

The situation got out of hand when the hearing resumed on
Tuesday. Jeers and scolds turned into a violent attack on the two
lawyers. One of the lawyers' companions was also beaten.

The suspects were not in the court when the case was examined.

Lawyers have expressed their sympathy for their two
colleagues. They stated that the attack reflects the public's
ignorance of the duty of lawyers and demanded that the police
guarantee the safety of the defense team.

Secretary General of the Indonesian Bar Association Djohan
Djauhari observed that public dissatisfaction with law
enforcement is a "general phenomenon". But he expressed regret
over the incident, and called upon the public to understand the
principle of presumption of innocent and to respect the suspects'
right to a fair trial.

Obviously people attacked the defense lawyers out of anger.
Their hate for the criminals who raped the two teenage girls and
the girls' mother physically landed on the lawyers defending the
suspects.

Indonesians are also upset because judges are known to hand
down light sentences for rape. Some rapists have received only
several months in jail, far below the maximum sentence of 12
years.

Frustration

The attack reflects public frustration with the justice
system. They are skeptical and therefore often take the law into
their own hands.

Some top government officials have also expressed concern
about the light sentences rapists have received. Minister of
Women's Role Mien Sugandhi has even insisted on the death
sentence for the criminals.

Corruptionists have been handed suspended sentences while
others languish in jail for stealing some bread or chickens. The
law can become a weapon of the rich and powerful.

"Such sentiments, which were widely exposed by the press,
justify the people's ideas about the lack of justice in the
country," sociologist Hotman Siahaan from the University of
Airlangga in Surabaya said.

Soothsayer Permadi Satrio Wiwoho was sentenced to seven months
in prison on Monday for describing Prophet Muhammad as a
"dictator" during an academic seminar. He was prosecuted even
after he apologized and swore he didn't mean to insult the
prophet.

The Attorney General's Office isn't consistent when handling
blasphemy cases. The prosecutors recently halted an investigation
into of a cabinet minister accused of a similar slip of the
tongue.

Siahaan insisted that people are not just fed up with legal
injustice but the cultural, political and economical injustice
that is rife in the country. "But they cannot express their
anger, especially when they are angry at the government, because
the two available channels: the House of Representatives and the
press, are under constraint," he added.

He stated that long-suffering Indonesians are powerless,
resulting in an accumulation of pain and rage. They can become
cynical, apathetic or brutal.

"Some people have the courage to stage demonstrations to
protest injustices. But the majority keep quiet with anger deep
in their heart, which can explode at anytime. People can easily
get angry and become violent if there is a trigger for the
action," Siahaan said.

"In other words, our people are sick. Only sick people attack
lawyers," he argued.

Empowering the people is the best remedy. Improving cultural,
social and economic institutions is necessary before the people
can take control.

"This is only a theory, the facts show that all these
institutions are paralyzed," he explained.