Priest gets four years for sexual misconduct

Priest gets four years for sexual misconduct

Jakarta Post, Solo

An Indonesian priest was sentenced on Monday to four years
imprisonment by the Surakarta District Court, for sexually
molesting seven minors under 15 years of age.

The defendant was identified as Saderah Sudiro, a priest of
the Foundation for the Village Bible Society (YPIP), while his
victims, who were refugees from Irian Jaya, Ambon and elsewhere
in Indonesia, were unnamed during the trial hearing.

Presiding Judge Djaini Abidin said that Saderah was found
guilty of violating Paragraph 2, Article 290 of the Criminal
Code, on the sexual molestation of minors.

The sentence was lighter than the five years sought by
prosecutor Ike Ria Wati. The article itself stipulates a maximum
sentence of seven years for such crimes.

The incident was initially reported to the local police by a
parent of one of the victims last October.

Judge Djaini said that the prosecutor had failed to prove to
the court that the defendant had raped his victims, as no
penetration had occurred, according to a doctor's medical and
examination reports, and victims' testimonies.

"The prosecutor has, however, succeeded in proving to this
court that the defendant sexually molested the seven victims
under his care, by demanding they removed their clothes, and then
touched their private parts," Djaini told the hearing.
--JP