Suspected pedophile and murderer stand trial

JAKARTA (JP): The trial of a man accused of sodomizing and murdering six street children began yesterday at the Central Jakarta District Court.

Prosecutor Suriansyah charged the defendant, identified only as SW alias Robot Gedek, 33, with sexually assaulting six minors aged 11 to 15, and then strangling them with plastic ropes.

The defendant, described by the prosecutor as uneducated, homeless and unemployed, mutilated the victims' hands and feet after murdering them.

Three of the boys were identified as Wisnu Ibnu Pranoto, 13, Adri Rionaldo P. Simamora, 15 and Abdul Rosyid, 12. The other three boys were not identified.

The prosecutor said the precise date of the murders could not be determined; the boys' bodies were found between September 1995 and August 1996.

Police arrested the defendant in Tegal, Central Java, on Aug. 5 last year. He is from Pekalongan, also in Central Java.

The forensic science laboratory of the University of Indonesia confirmed the boys had been sexually assaulted.

The prosecutor said before sodomizing the boys, the defendant invited them to have fun with him at various entertainment centers, such as the Ancol Dreamland Park or at electronic game arcades.

"The defendant gave Adri Rp 1,000 to please the boy," Suriansyah said.

He then sexually assaulted the boys in the Senen market area, Central Jakarta, Suriansyah said.

"Abdul Rosyid was sexually assaulted in the Khemon food stall on the third floor of Senen market's third block. The defendant strangled the boys until they choked to death," he said.

All the murders occurred in the defunct Kemayoran airport in Central Jakarta, the prosecutor said.

"Sometimes the defendant would give the boys something to eat before strangling them from behind," he said.

Suriansyah said the defendant then cut open the boy's belly.

According the Criminal Code (Article 340), the defendant could face the death penalty.

The prosecutor also charged the defendant with sexually assaulting minors, carrying a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

Prosecutor Suriansyah said the defendants' friend, identified only as SN alias Babeh, witnessed the murder of Wisnu, one of the victims.

Police said last August they had found 10 bodies of teenagers in Jakarta and Central Java. Six of these were boys allegedly killed by Robot.

Police have yet to conclude who murdered the other four boys, even though Robot has confessed to killing all 12.

During the hearing, the defendant appeared restless but calm. He drummed his fingers on his lap and tapped his feet on the floor.

Lawyers for the defendant Febry Irmansyah and Nadjab Khan said outside the court Robot seemed mentally unwell. They have not yet said if they will enter a plea of insanity for their client.

"He always answers 'yes' when people ask about the murder," Febry said.

Presiding Judge Sartono adjourned the hearing until next week. (07)