Reporter's attackers sentenced

DILI (JP): The district court here sentenced four people to 10 months each yesterday for attacking a journalist last year.

The defendants, Jose Antonio Soares, Jaime de Jesus Ribeiro Verdial, Americo Seroa and Jacob Fernandez, asked for time to decide whether they would appeal, as did public prosecutor Eko Purwanto.

The sentence was lighter than the prosecutor had demanded. Eko had sought three years for Jose, and two years for Jaime and Jacob for assaulting the Tiras weekly journalist, Gaudensius Mau.

Presiding judge S.J. Maramis said in his verdict that the three men deserved lighter sentences on the grounds that they had pleaded guilty and apologized to the victim. Besides, he said: "They are still young and have plenty of time to improve their behavior."

The incident happened on the night of Nov. 17 last year when the three assaulted Gaudensius after mistaking him for a police informant.

The culprits rounded on Gaudensius near Virgin Mary park after they saw someone point at him and shout "informant", the verdict said.

They stopped beating the innocent journalist when a police patrol passed. The unconscious victim was taken to hospital by the police while the attackers fled.

Gaudensius regained consciousness in hospital a day after the attack, the verdict said. (33/pan)