Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
International

Family Of Teacher Jailed In Indonesia Says Federal Officials Taking Case Seriously

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Mar, 2016 01:57 PM
    OTTAWA — Family members of a Canadian teacher jailed in Indonesia say they're satisfied the federal government is doing more than paying lip service to the case.
     
    Last month Indonesia's high court overturned Neil Bantleman's acquittal of charges of sexually abusing children and he was put back in prison.
     
    Bantleman has maintained his innocence since he was accused of abusing three children at a prestigious international school in the capital Jakarta.
     
    The case attracted the attention of Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, who issued a statement last month saying the government was "deeply dismayed and shocked'' that the acquittal ruling was overturned.  
     
    Bantleman's brother Guy spent the past two days in Ottawa meeting with MPs and officials in the department of Global Affairs.
     
    The family has maintained Neil Bantleman was the victim of a corrupt Indonesian justice system and his brother said he came away with the feeling that the federal Liberals are serious about finding a way to get the teacher freed.  
     
    "We are very satisfied they're taking this seriously," Guy Bantleman said in a phone interview late Friday. 
     
    "They've laid out a plan as far as how very senior government officials will be involved over the ... coming weeks."
     
     
    Bantleman said he couldn't share many details of what the involvement would be, only saying there would be "very significant high level discussions going on."
     
    "It's an ongoing dialogue, it's not just a statement of concern with this case, it's talking about how this can be resolved," he said.
     
    Neil Bantleman can make one last appeal to the courts to review his conviction and his lawyers will prepare an application later this year, but Guy Bantleman said both he and the government officials he spoke with agreed it was a long shot.
     
    "They seemed to be really focused on the fact that this was going to be more of a diplomatic effort than a judicial effort," Guy Bantleman said.
     
    The case has dragged through the Indonesian justice system since Neil Bantleman was arrested in July, 2014.
     
    He was convicted and handed a 10 year prison sentence last April and then freed in August when the conviction was overturned.
     
    Bantleman turned himself in when the Indonesian High Court quashed the acquittal last month and added a year to his prison sentence.
     
    His family have described the conditions in the prison as squalid and said although Bantleman is showing "great resilience," they're concerned that his health is at risk.
     
     
    "From a safety concern, that's something that we need to focus on," his brother Guy Bantleman said.
     
    "They (the federal government) need to take all that seriously and they seem to be."

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Bernie Sanders Keeps His Judaism In The Background, Irking US Jews

    As Bernie Sanders headed toward victory in New Hampshire, pundits noted the barrier he was about to break: Sanders would become the first Jewish candidate to win a major party presidential primary.

    Bernie Sanders Keeps His Judaism In The Background, Irking US Jews

    Can Romas Be Part Of Indian Diaspora?

    Can Romas Be Part Of Indian Diaspora?
    A strong 20-million Roma population is spread over 30 countries encompassing West Asia, Europe, America and Australia

    Can Romas Be Part Of Indian Diaspora?

    Mark Zuckerberg In Germany: No Place For Hate Speech On Facebook

    Mark Zuckerberg conceded Friday that Facebook didn't do enough until recently to police hate speech on the social media site in Germany, but said that it has made progress and has heard the message "loud and clear."

    Mark Zuckerberg In Germany: No Place For Hate Speech On Facebook

    Apple: FBI Seeks 'Dangerous Power' In Fight Over Phone

    Apple: FBI Seeks 'Dangerous Power' In Fight Over Phone
    In its first salvo in a court fight that pits digital privacy rights against national security, Apple Inc. asked a federal magistrate to reverse her order forcing the company to help the FBI hack into a locked iPhone.

    Apple: FBI Seeks 'Dangerous Power' In Fight Over Phone

    Obama Says He Learned Responsibility, Hard Work From 1st Job

    President Barack Obama says his unglamorous first job scooping ice cream taught him valuable lessons about responsibility and hard work.

    Obama Says He Learned Responsibility, Hard Work From 1st Job

    The West Should Have Left Taliban Alone And Just Hit Al-Qaida: Former Commander

    The West Should Have Left Taliban Alone And Just Hit Al-Qaida: Former Commander
    Retired major-general Dave Fraser commanded both the Canadian task force and the military alliance's expanded mission to extend the authority of former Afghan president Hamid Karzai beyond the capital of Kabul in 2006

    The West Should Have Left Taliban Alone And Just Hit Al-Qaida: Former Commander