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)