Punishment sought over slur on Ita's character

JAKARTA (JP): Parents of murdered Marthadinata will demand accountability from forensic expert Abdul Mun'im Idries and psychologist Sarlito Wirawan for allegedly slurring their daughter's character, their lawyer said on Monday.

Frans Hendra Winarta, the legal counsel for Leo Haryono and Wiwin Suriadinata, revealed on Monday that he would soon officially ask the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) and the Indonesian Psychologists Association (HIMPSI) to take necessary disciplinary measures against the two professionals for their statements about the 18-year-old, who was nicknamed Ita.

"We can't, however, specify or say our expectations over what kind of measures or sanctions should be applied by the associations on their members. It's all up to them," Frans said.

Mun'im, one of two forensic experts who performed the post- mortem examination on Ita after her Oct. 9 murder, told the media that certain drugs were found in her urine and her body showed signs of sodomy.

Referring to the autopsy results, Sarlito, who is also dean of the School of Psychology at the University of Indonesia, concluded that Ita was sexually active and a likely drug addict.

Ita's parents are adamant their daughter was not engaged in the activities, Frans said.

"Ita's parents certainly objected to their remarks.

"They want their daughter's name to be rehabilitated soon because the media reports quoting the two experts have outraged them," Frans said.

On Saturday, IDI chairman Agus Purwadianto and HIMPSI chairman Enoch Markum said they would hear first from both experts in internal hearings before taking further measures.

Mun'im has insisted his statements were not defamatory and did not violation any professional code of ethics. He said he was ready enough to be questioned by any party to defend his position.

Frans said Ita was from a close-knit family.

"Leo and Wiwin told me that they knew 99.9 percent of everything their daughter did. So the widespread reports on Ita have somewhat disgraced and shocked them."

Frans also alleged that Mun'im and Sarlito breached their professional capacity by revealing confidential details publicly.

"Even if their statements were true, they're not supposed to reveal them to the media. They are not in their capacity to give the statements to the public while the police investigation is still underway."

Reconstruction

Meanwhile, the Jakarta Police on Monday reenacted the killing of the third-year high school student in a 90-minute reconstruction at Ita's home on Jl. Berlian III, Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta.

"This is to meet the standard required procedures before we hand over the dossiers (to the prosecutor's office).

"It's not to meet the (public) demand," Jakarta Police Detectives unit chief Col. Gories Mere, who led the reenactment, told the media at the site.

Under tight security of dozens of police officers, the 22-year-old suspect, Suryadi, alias Otong, who is also one of the victim's next-door neighbors, arrived at the site at 11 a.m.

Anxious neighbors, onlookers and media jammed the area.

Ita's mother watched the reenactment from a distance while her sister Evi carefully followed the reconstruction at close range.

None of them was willing to comment.

Otong's mother and sisters also watched how a calm Otong reenacted every detail of the brutal crime.

But the reenactment highlighted a number of discrepancies.

On Monday, Otong put green and black socks on his hands and slowly clambered into the house compound over the front iron gates.

In an earlier police statement, Otong did not mention wearing the socks and he also stated that the front gates were unlocked.

Otong had said he used three kinds of knives, but he only used two in the reenactment. (emf)