Robot gets death sentence
Robot gets death sentence
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Siswanto, alias Robot Gedek, to death yesterday for the premeditated murder of 12 boys who he had also sodomized.
Robot, 33, was found guilty of violating Article 65 of the Penal Code for the murders and sexually abusing his victims.
"Robot's crimes sent shock waves through the community because he sadistically killed underage boys. What he did can never be forgiven," Presiding Judge Sartono said.
He also said that the court found the defendant sane and therefore legally responsible for his crimes.
On hearing the verdict, Robot, who comes from the Central Java town of Pekalongan, looked shocked. He even got up and tried to approach the bench, but court officials restrained him immediately.
Robot repeatedly said to the judges: "I don't want to die".
Sartono then explained to Robot that he could appeal to the High Court if he wanted to.
No sooner had the judge delivered his sentence than defense lawyers Najab Khan and Febry Irmansyah said: "We'll immediately appeal the verdict."
Robot agreed with the lawyers' statement and nodded his head several times.
Before the session began Robot looked relaxed. He even joked with reporters and asked for money when they tried to take his picture.
After the verdict he looked helpless. He said he regretted killing the boys.
When reporters asked him if he would have been remorseful if the judges had handed down a life sentence, Robot said: "No".
Yesterday's session was punctured with a moment of humor when, just before the panel of judges finished with the verdict, Robot asked to go to the toilet.
This not only caused laughter among the spectators but also made the judges smile.
Robot, who appeared in his usual black pants and white shirt, looked nervous throughout yesterday's proceedings. He kept shaking and scratching his head.
After the trial Robot said that he was afraid to die because after he would never see his parents again.
Najab told The Jakarta Post that their decision to appeal was based on the fact that the court had failed to prove that Robot had committed premeditated murders.
The judges only said that Robot had planned the murders because "he still had time to think over his plan", he said.
"What we understand is that planning murder also includes identifying the victim, and a real intention, which the prosecutors could not prove," Najab said. (12)
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