Probation terms for assaulting minister's son

Probation terms for assaulting minister's son

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court yesterday sentenced the son of the chairman of the powerful Pemuda Pancasila youth organization to 10 months' probation.

Yedidiah S. K. Soeryosoemarno, 16, the son of Yapto Soeryosoemarno, who chairs the pro-government youth organization, was found guilty of assaulting a son of the Minister of Manpower, Abdul Latief, at the Hard Rock cafe in March last year.

Judge Tuaradja Siregar also sentenced Gahtan Saleh Hilabi, 16, and Hamad Saleh Hilabi, 17, to 10 months' probation each, for the same offense.

The judge warned the youths that they would be imprisoned for six months if they committed a crime within the next 10 months.

Previously, prosecutors James Pardede and Suhaimi had asked the judge to sentence the three to a year's imprisonment, in view of the fact that the minister's son, Achmad Dipoditiro, had been badly injured in the attack.

But the judge, in his judgment, supported his decision to impose lighter penalties with nine reasons.

"The defendants are young people who had never been involved in crime before and they come from respectable families," the judge said, adding that the three were still studying at high school.

The judge also stated that a term of imprisonment would not have served the cause of justice in this case because the three would have mixed with other prisoners, including hard-core criminals, who might have influenced the youths in such a way that they might subsequently have committed more serious crimes.

The three defendants and Achmad were involved in a physical clash on the evening of March 21 at the Hard Rock Cafe at the Sarinah department store on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

Achmad suffered serious injuries to his nose, eyes and other parts of his face. He was treated at the Metropolitan Medical Center, a hospital in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta.

Yedi was accompanied by his mother during the reading of the verdict by judge Tuaradja. Several relatives of Gahtan and Hamad were also present. The three were represented by a lawyer from Hotma Sitompul law firm. (mas)