Siswanto faces death sentence

Siswanto faces death sentence

JAKARTA (JP): The prosecutor demanded that the Central Jakarta
District Court yesterday to sentence Siswanto to death for
murdering six boys after sodomizing them.

Prosecutor Suriansah said Siswanto alias Robot Gedek, 33, was
guilty of first degree murder under article 65 of the Criminal
Code, which carries the death penalty.

Suriansah said Robot deserved the death penalty because he did
not show any remorse during trial and had committed six counts of
premeditated murder.

"The prosecutor also found Robot to be a sane and
communicative adult who could be held responsible for his
offenses," he said.

Suriansah also said the defendant would not repent.

Robot, who as usual wore a white shirt and black pants,
remained expressionless during the session. He bowed his head
most of the time.

When Judge Sartono asked him whether he understood the
prosecutor's demand, Robot said that he did.

But after his lawyers explained the demand to Robot, he looked
shocked and said he did not understand.

After the session, when reporters asked him if he was scared
of being sentenced to death, Robot said "yes," but added he only
killed the boys because a man named Bambang told him to do so.

Meanwhile Najib Khan, Robot's lawyer, said outside the
courtroom that the sentence demand was too stiff.

"Robot's mental health and intellectual ability should be
seriously considered here because the defendant always agreed to
anything he was told and could not state an opinion," Najib said.

Febry Irmansyah, Robot's other lawyer, said the prosecutor
should have looked into the juridical facts which showed that 80
percent of the material evidence and witnesses did not prove the
defendant's guilt.

Previously, Robot's lawyers asked for a psychiatric
evaluation of the defendant but then decided he was sane enough.

Robot, who comes from the Central Java town of Pekalongan,
stands charged of killing six boys between 11 and 15 years after
sexually abusing them.

The hearing was adjourned until next week to hear the lawyers
defense statement. (12)