Protection for suspects

Protection for suspects

Tentative findings made public by the West Java chief of
police yesterday pinpointed a Bogor police chief detective
lieutenant, identified only as DT, as being the main offender
responsible for the torture and death of robbery and murder
suspect Cece. The charges, if proven to be true, once again show
how vulnerable crime suspects are while they are being
investigated by the police, even though we know that in such
cases the principle of the presumption of innocence should be
applied.

Our code of criminal law procedures, despite its many
shortcomings, provides strict protection of the rights of
suspects. For example it mentions the length of time a suspect
can be held in custody, his or her right to legal assistance and
other such matters.

As is the case with many other regulations, however, these
stipulations are often violated. The problem is that
investigators are expected to extract a confession from suspects.
As a consequence investigators are tempted to cut corners and do
it the easy way. The important thing is that an confession is
obtained. Although the police have said that they prefer proof to
an admission of guilt, acts of violence against suspects continue
to occur.

It is true that these acts of violence are not always
committed by the police. In many cases the suspect is "borrowed"
by other parties who then do the torturing. According to the law,
however, the responsibility for the suspect's well-being remains
in the hands of the legally authorized investigators; the police.
This grave responsibility should push the investigators to be
cautious regarding the manner in which they treat their suspects.

-- Republika, Jakarta