Prosecutor's rebuttal heard in Bekasi rape case
Prosecutor's rebuttal heard in Bekasi rape case
JAKARTA (JP): The mother of one of 11 defendants being tried
for gang rape and robbery cried hysterically at the Bekasi
District Court yesterday after the prosecutors turned down the
defendant's request that his son be acquitted of all charges.
"Why don't you kill me rather than punishing my son who knew
nothing about the crime," Lena, the mother of defendant Iwan
Rejeki shouted minutes after the hearing.
Prosecutors had asked the court at an earlier session to
sentence Iwan Rejeki, Bonen, Mamat, Deddy Setiawan, Muhamad Ali,
Matali, Indra, Wijayadi, Aris Haryadi and Jamal to 16 years in
prison for the robbery and rape.
The defendants, aged between 17 and 23, are accused of raping
a mother and her two daughters and stealing their jewelry in July
last year in Cimatis, Bekasi, 30 km southeast of the city.
The prosecutors also demanded that two other suspects, Taman
and Supriatna, be sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. The two,
according to the prosecutors, were not directly involved in the
crime, but had accompanied the 11 defendants to the house.
"We decided to stick to our previous demand and ask the judges
to refute the defense statements by the lawyers and defendants,"
prosecutor T. Baringin Udjung told the panel of judges.
On Monday, 15 defense lawyers in three separate trials read
their defense statements asking the court to exonerate their
clients who they claim are innocent.
The lawyers said none of the evidence and none of the
witnesses have proved that the defendants were involved in the
crime.
From his six-page rebuttal, Udjung, who is prosecuting the
trial of Bonen, Mamat and Dedi, countered previous statements by
the defendants that their testimonies were made under police
pressure, saying the claim was a stereotyped cliche.
"During the interrogating sessions the suspects were always
accompanied by their lawyers. The suspects signed the dossiers in
full view of the lawyers. So they were not coerced into putting
their signatures on the dossiers," the prosecutor said.
He also said that Amin, a prisoner the defendants wanted to
testify because of his knowledge of the crime, could not be a
witness because he was not directly involved in the crime.
The trial was adjourned until Monday after the defendants'
lawyers asked for a redress.
With a verdict approaching, security at yesterday's 18th
session was tightened. Dozens of police officers stood guard
inside and outside the courthouse.
Earlier court sessions were marred by outbursts of public
anger. Two camps have emerged in the emotional trial: those who
support the victims and those who claim the police have arrested
the wrong persons.
Last August, the defendant's lawyers called off a suit in
which they accused the police of arresting the wrong men. They
claimed the police could not guarantee their safety after a mob
attacked them and damaged their cars.(03)