Trials in teacher's family murder ending

JAKARTA (JP): The trials of the suspected murderers of a teacher's family in East Jakarta last year is coming to an end.

One more witness from the police forensic department will appear at the East Jakarta district court next Monday to clarify reports on one of the victim's blood type.

On Oct. 2 last year, a housewife and her three children were killed in their home in Bambu Apus.

Five suspects, a man, a woman and three children, have been detained since October for their alleged involvement in the murders. Evidence reportedly led the police in the direction of the suspects' home, some 200 meters away from the victims' house.

The suspects have been tried in three separate court hearings. Prosecutors will read criminal charges on May 6.

As the end of the trials approach, the number of visitors continues to increase. The trials have been colored by persistent cursing from the public every time the suspects testify or their lawyers make statements.

Diatribes came mostly from the victims' relatives, often from the victims' husband and father, Rohadi.

The suspects were detained once they had confessed to the police that they committed the crime.

Repeating previous courtroom scenes, prime suspect Philipus Kia Lejab persistently retracted his earlier statements filed by police pertaining his role in the murders.

Philipus said that he was traumatized by police torture prior to confessing.

"A police officer threatened to gouge my eyes out," Philipus told the court and was booed by the crowd.

He also said the police reports were inconclusive as evidence to be used in court hearings. However, he appeared dumbfounded when the prosecutor suggested that all five suspects told a similar plot.

The team of judges in Philipus' hearing lead by Soenarto decided to continue processing Philipus yesterday despite his complaint of a stomachache.

"If you are really ill, why didn't you go to the doctor?" Soenarto questioned Philipus.

Philipus said he had been brought to court from the prison before he had a chance to seek medical assistance.

In a separate hearing, Philipus' wife, Suparmi, told the court that the police report contains made-up stories.

Three suspects, young adolescents, are being tried in a closed trial. When they appeared as witnesses in Philipus and Suparmi's hearing, they also told the court that they made the stories up to avoid more torture at the hands of the police. (14)