Neil Bantleman, jailed in Indonesia for child sex abuse, loses release bid; questions over verdict remain
ABC News
BY INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT SAMANTHA HAWLEY
UPDATED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO (as at 09:54 AEST 30 Ictober 2017)
For Tracy Bantleman it has been a long battle to free her husband, who she says, without a skerrick of doubt, is innocent of the most damning of charges.
Key points:
Canadian man Neil Bantleman, a former teacher at the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School, was first jailed in 2015 for allegedly sexually abusing kindergarten children.
He was briefly released in February 2016 on appeal, but his freedom was short lived and he was jailed again by a higher court.
Now the 48-year-old's final legal bid for freedom, a judicial review, has failed.
He will continue to serve his 11-year jail term in Jakarta's grossly overcrowded Cipinang prison.
The decision again shines a spotlight on the quality, independence and integrity of Indonesia's judicial system.
The school, independent investigators, and the United States, British, Canadian and Australian embassies in Jakarta have all questioned the legitimacy of the guilty verdict.
"The outcome of the legal process will impact international views about the rule of law in Indonesia," the US Ambassador Robert Blake said in a February 2016 statement.
At the time, Australia's Ambassador Paul Grigson said he hoped due process would be followed.
Read more at:
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-...d-to-be-released-from-indonesian-jail/9097728
ABC News
BY INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT SAMANTHA HAWLEY
UPDATED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO (as at 09:54 AEST 30 Ictober 2017)
For Tracy Bantleman it has been a long battle to free her husband, who she says, without a skerrick of doubt, is innocent of the most damning of charges.
Key points:
- Neil Bantleman was jailed for 11 years for allegedly raping school children
- But there are questions over the legitimacy of the guilty verdict against him
- His only chance of early release now is presidential clemency
Canadian man Neil Bantleman, a former teacher at the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School, was first jailed in 2015 for allegedly sexually abusing kindergarten children.
He was briefly released in February 2016 on appeal, but his freedom was short lived and he was jailed again by a higher court.
Now the 48-year-old's final legal bid for freedom, a judicial review, has failed.
He will continue to serve his 11-year jail term in Jakarta's grossly overcrowded Cipinang prison.
The decision again shines a spotlight on the quality, independence and integrity of Indonesia's judicial system.
The school, independent investigators, and the United States, British, Canadian and Australian embassies in Jakarta have all questioned the legitimacy of the guilty verdict.
"The outcome of the legal process will impact international views about the rule of law in Indonesia," the US Ambassador Robert Blake said in a February 2016 statement.
At the time, Australia's Ambassador Paul Grigson said he hoped due process would be followed.
Read more at:
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-...d-to-be-released-from-indonesian-jail/9097728
