Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

Trial of Canadian teacher in Indonesia hears from alleged child victim

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 30 Dec, 2014 10:56 AM

    JAKARTA, Indonesia — The family of a Canadian teacher accused of sexually abusing three young students at an international school in Indonesia says his trial continued today with testimony from an alleged victim.

    Neil Bantleman's brother says in an email to The Canadian Press that the hearing lasted more than six hours, with an alleged child victim referred to as "DA" giving testimony via teleconference for more than two hours.

    Bantleman, who is from Burlington, Ont., was arrested in July along with an Indonesian teaching assistant, and both are accused of sexually abusing three students at the Jakarta International School.

    Both men have maintained their innocence and the school's principal and a number of fellow teachers also say the two are innocent.

    The teacher's brother Guy Bantleman says more than 100 parents, students and school staff came to the South Jakarta Court for today's session, but that officials from the Canadian and British embassies were denied access to the courtroom.

    He says that according to defence lawyers and the defendants, the child's testimony today was "inconsistent and illogical" and that during the session, the child was reported to be seen looking to his mother — who sat beside him holding his hand — for confirmation of his responses.

    He also says the child's father — referred to as "OA" — testified in court, adding the father was "confrontational" and was repeatedly admonished by the judges for not following the rules of the court and not answering questions directly with a yes or no response.

    Bantleman's family has noted that Bantleman and the assistant Ferdinand Tjiong were only arrested after the parents of one of the alleged child victims failed in their efforts to reach a financial settlement with the school over alleged abuse by school janitors who were also accused in the case.

    The janitors have been sentenced to up to eight years in prison following their separate but related trial. Their lawyers have called their verdicts unfair and have vowed to appeal.

    Both Bantleman and Tjiong could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

    Their trial is expected to last three months, a time during which Bantleman's family is urging Ottawa to publicly declare its support for the Ontario man.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Killings, kidnappings, disasters made 2014 a hard year to be a child

    Killings, kidnappings, disasters made 2014 a hard year to be a child
    OTTAWA — Call it the year of growing up dangerously.

    Killings, kidnappings, disasters made 2014 a hard year to be a child

    Some notable quotes from Canadian newsmakers in 2014

    Some notable quotes from Canadian newsmakers in 2014
    Quotes from notable Canadian news stories and newsmakers in 2014:

    Some notable quotes from Canadian newsmakers in 2014

    Strangers reach out to woman who spent 23 years searching for family

    Strangers reach out to woman who spent 23 years searching for family
    REGINA — Lori Campbell's most prized possession is a thick folder filled with paperwork.

    Strangers reach out to woman who spent 23 years searching for family

    Hotdog Stand Explodes In B.C. Interior, Two Hospitalized: Assistant Fire Chief

    Hotdog Stand Explodes In B.C. Interior, Two Hospitalized: Assistant Fire Chief
    Kamloops Fire Rescue assistant Chief Brian Lannon says emergency crews were informed of the explosion outside a retail store shortly after 11 a.m.

    Hotdog Stand Explodes In B.C. Interior, Two Hospitalized: Assistant Fire Chief

    Mounties Find Two Dead Men During Probe Of Shots-Fired Complaint in Anahim Lake, BC

    Mounties Find Two Dead Men During Probe Of Shots-Fired Complaint in Anahim Lake, BC
    RCMP Cpl. Dave Tyreman said police were called to a rural residence just before midnight Friday in the small community of Anahim Lake, which is a drive of about 863 kilometre north of Vancouver.

    Mounties Find Two Dead Men During Probe Of Shots-Fired Complaint in Anahim Lake, BC

    Flooding Forces Closure Of New Brunswick Road

    Flooding Forces Closure Of New Brunswick Road
    The New Brunswick government says flooding in western parts of the province forced to closure of a section of a highway.

    Flooding Forces Closure Of New Brunswick Road