An Indonesian court has overturned convictions against a Canadian and an Indonesian jailed for 10 years each for sexual abuse at a prestigious Jakarta international school, a lawyer said today, in a case criticised as being fraught with irregularities.
"I'm elated," said Tracy Bantleman, the wife of school administrator Neil Bantleman, who also holds British nationality. He was jailed with Indonesian teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong in April after they were found guilty of abusing three young children.
The pair maintained their innocence and received backing from the Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) and parents at the institution, with supporters accusing police of a botched investigation and alleging that the men's trials were unfair.
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The abuse allegations rocked an institution that had been a favourite with expatriates and wealthy Indonesians in the capital for more than 60 years.
News of the Jakarta High Court's decision to rule in favour of the men's appeals came just days after a USD 125-million sex abuse lawsuit against the school was dismissed. Supporters believe the decision to pursue the men was linked to that suit, which was brought by the mother of an alleged victim.
"Thank God for this wonderful news," lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea told reporters at South Jakarta District Court, where the men were convicted, after receiving news of their successful appeals.
"This is certainly great news for the entire JIS community and the two teachers, Neil and Ferdi, and their families. They deserve their freedom after all the suffering and pain that they have experienced as victims of baseless accusations."
The lawyer, who was picking up documents to process the men's release, said he hoped they would be freed later Friday.
School spokesman Rully Iskandar added: "JIS has finally received justice."
As well as Monday's decision by the South Jakarta District Court to throw out the multi-million-dollar civil suit, the men's case received a boost last month when the Singapore High Court ruled in favour of the pair in a defamation case against the mother of one of the alleged victims for making untrue sex abuse claims.
