Six students jailed for murder

Six students jailed for murder

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced six
junior high school students to between one and a half years and
two and a half years in jail yesterday for killing a senior high
school student in a brawl.

The six defendants, aged between 15 and 18 years, were
identified as Andi Burhanuddin alias Boang, Cipta Wahyudi, Gidion
Oktavianus Silitonga, Novaya Zemlya Valentino, Alvin Libert
Ariganda Siagian and Taufik Hidayat.

Wearing white-blue school uniforms, they bowed their heads
when presiding judge Abas Sumantri read the verdict.

Abas said the defendants were found guilty of killing
Sawaludin in the brawl on Jl. Prapatan, Central Jakarta, in July
last year.

"Since the defendants have admitted to committing the crime,
they have to be punished," he said.

Abas said the defendants violated Article 170 of the Criminal
Code.

He said the panel of judges refused a plea from the
defendants' lawyers that the court should return the defendants
to their parents.

But since the defendants were young and wanted to continue
their studies, the judges handed out lighter sentences.

Abas said that Boang had been sentenced to two and a half
years, followed by Wahyudi, Gidion and Valentino with two years
each. Alvin and Taufik were sentenced to one and half years
respectively, he said.

The sentences were half than those proposed by prosecutor
Roskanedi, he said.

Roskanedi asked the court in an earlier session to give Boang
the heaviest sentence for stabbing the victim with a samurai
sword.

The prosecutor said Wahyudi, Gidion and Novaya beat the victim
with clubs and a shovel while Alvin and Taufik threw bricks at
the victim.

The defendants, along with some of their classmates, were on
their way home in a truck after attending a farewell party at a
private junior high school, he said.

Sawaludin and his friends suddenly threw stones at the truck
with no clear reason, said the prosecutor.

When the truck stopped at a nearby set of traffic lights, the
students got off and chased their attackers, he said.

Roskanedi said Sawaludin was caught and killed by the junior
high school students while his friends managed to escape.

The prosecutor and the defendants are still considering
whether to appeal. (jun)