Trial date set for 12 accused students
Trial date set for 12 accused students
JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court will soon open the trial of 12 National University students accused of assaulting members of the college's Student Regiment last October.
Judge Moegihardjo, who will preside at the hearings, said the students would be split into two groups of six defendants each. The trial of the first group will begin on Jan. 19 and the second on Jan. 23.
The students have been accused of burning the regiment command post and attacking some of the members guarding it.
The dossiers prepared by the state prosecutors charge the 12 students with violating Article 170 of the Criminal Code, which stipulates that a person who intentionally assaults another, or destroys property, could face maximum imprisonment of five-and- a-half years.
The attack on the regiment members came at the peak of discontent among university students at the rough behavior of many members of the regiment, whom they felt often bullied other college students in the name of discipline.
The existence of the student regiments at most universities have been questioned following reports of brawls at colleges involving the regiment members. Following the criticism, the government, early this month, agreed to restructure and place the regiments under the supervision of the ministries of defense and security, home affairs and education and culture. Previously, the regiments were supervised only by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Despite the criticism of the student regiment, no members have been tried in connection with the behavior that led to the attacks.
The 12 students to be tried in South Jakarta next week are members of Himpala, an association of nature lovers at the university.
The 12 defendants are B. Satrio Widyanarto, Yudi Jamhur, Rakai Aryadipa Erlangga, Dharmawan, Budi Murdiyanto, Reza Pahlevi, Syech Aljufri, Agus Heryana Anirun, Mulyono Sugito, Kusnadi Darisan, Sudrajad Trisna and Indra Mulia Ismed Kamal.
The brawl, amid a celebration of the university's 45th anniversary, left five students injured.
The fighting reportedly was in retaliation to an attack on one of the nature lovers by regiment members over a trivial road accident outside the campus.
The prosecutors for the two trials will be H.P. Silitonga and Hasan Madani. (mas)