Sunday, July 3, 2016

Catch-up three: Neil Bantleman: (Indonesia): Link to ABC Network documentaries: (You Tube): ""A puff of rumour grew into a tempest of accusations that led to the jailing of seven people for alleged child abuse at an elite international school in Jakarta. Was justice served - or was it a case of moral panic? " (ABC Foreign Correspondent)."


"A puff of rumour grew into a tempest of accusations that led to the jailing of seven people for alleged child abuse at an elite international school in Jakarta. Was justice served - or was it a case of moral panic? " (ABC Foreign Correspondent)"

 The documentaries can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CiiCoxuruc&feature=youtu.be

See National Post story: (April2, 2015): "Mind-boggling’ trial of Canadian found guilty of raping Indonesian students leaves unsettling questions."..."“Today is a miscarriage of justice,” Bantleman said before being led out of court, to cheers and applause from supporters from the school, according to Jewel Topsfield, Indonesia correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald, reporting from the Jakarta court. “We will continue to fight until the truth comes out,” he said. His brother, Guy Bantleman, attacked the case for being “shrouded in secrecy [and] a lack of transparency.” “The judge basically threw out every piece of evidence, every witness that the defence put up through the case,” he said. “It’s mind-boggling. There hasn’t been a piece of evidence that has actually proven anything.” The strange trial, however, is unsatisfying even to those who believe Bantleman committed the rapes, said Jack Hewson, a freelance journalist based in Indonesia who covered the case and the verdict. “It’s ridiculous,” he said, that the verdict in such a case does nothing to prove a man’s innocence or guilt. “It’s an absolute mess. It’s very important not to get too jumping on the bandwagon with the way the narrative is going right now,” he said, noting an aggressive public relations campaign on Bantleman’s behalf is underway. “There has not been an objective observer at all and now it’s become a media trial, with the defence trying to get their point out. It’s left us in a complete no-man’s land. “There are still three children with two parents each who decided it was worthwhile putting their child through this. One is suing for $125 million but the other two aren’t.” But questions and doubts were inevitable because of the trial process and the judge, he said.  A lack of any independent observers, odd evidence accepted as fact and an obvious animosity the presiding judge displayed toward Bantleman and his lawyers all prevent the verdict from bringing closure. “The judge clearly hates Neil and the defence team, so I’m not sure I trust her summary of the trial,” he said. “The judge might normally be an objective observer but having observed her, she is not an objective observer.”  The evidence and testimony against Bantleman was heard behind closed doors, ostensibly to protect the child victims in the case. However, the identities of the children were openly discussed in the lengthy verdict, read over six hours in public. Nuraslam Bustaman, the presiding judge in the panel of three, summarized some of the evidence she accepted pointing to Bantleman’s guilt. She accepted much of the expert opinion and testimony from prosecutors’ witnesses and seemed to reject much of the testimony of witnesses called by the defence. Some evidence seems odd, such as drawing from a sex counsellor’s testimony that Bantleman had sex with his wife once a week as suggestive he was more likely to be a pedophile. Testimony from one psychologist who said a boy spoke of a “magic stone” that had been inserted into his anus so he would not feel pain during molestation was accepted by the judge but no object was found or presented in court. And while Bantleman’s lawyers presented thousands of letters of support for their client testifying to his good character, the impact was not as intended: The judge took the tone and tenor of some of the letters as threats or attempts to influence justice and deemed them the sort of thing a guilty man would do."
 http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/mind-boggling-trial-of-canadian-found-guilty-of-raping-indonesian-students-leaves-unsettling-questions