Rape pretrial security beefed up

JAKARTA (JP): Police will intensify the security during the last session of the Bekasi rape pretrial, which will be held today at the Bekasi district court, an officer said yesterday.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Permantoro said that maximum security for today's trial has been prepared by the Bekasi police. The verdict will be read out today.

Today's session is the last of the pretrial procedures being held to look into complaints lodged by the defense lawyers, who are suing the Bekasi police for illegally arresting the suspects of the Bekasi robbery and rapes.

Eleven suspects were arrested last month on charges of having robbed Acan and brutally raped his wife and two teenage daughters in a small, isolated village in the Bekasi area, 30 kilometers east of Jakarta.

The four lawyers, Petrus Bala Pattyona, Hendar Puji Astoro, Aidi Johan and Ismail were beaten by an angry mob during the pretrial procedures last week.

The lawyers, representing three of eleven suspects, were stoned, beaten and kicked by a mob outside the courthouse. Police and anti-riot troops were hardly able to protect the lawyers.

Bambang did not mention the number of police officers to be deployed today. "It depends on the situation," he said.

Bambang called on the public not to be incited by certain issues, which could cause people to take the law into their own hands.

According to Bambang, more people were predicted to attend the trial. At least 2,000 people attended last week's session. They emotionally attacked the lawyers outside the courthouse.

National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman has also asked for public restraint after the four lawyers were attacked last week.

The incident has aroused the sympathy of lawyers and non- governmental organizations, which expressed their concern over the incident.

The Institution for Community Studies and Advocacy has said it regrets the lack of security preparations made by the police in anticipating such incidents.

The Indonesian Bar Association stated that the attack reflects the public's ignorance of the duty of lawyers.

Both groups have demanded that the police guarantee the safety of the defense team to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

During last week's session presided over by Judge Asnahwati, the Bekasi Police District was represented by Capt. Edward Syah Pernong, the head of the Crime Investigating Unit.

Edward tried to prove that the police arrested the suspects in accordance with the law. The parents of two suspects, Iwan and Jam, had complained that their sons were picked up without warrants.

Edward showed the signatures of the suspects' parents on a warrant sheet and compared the signatures with the ones on their identity cards.

Iwan's parents finally admitted that they had signed the warrants and had sent their son to the police office for questioning. (01)