Indonesian school principal rejects case against Neil Bantleman
JIS principal called to testify by the prosecution, rejects allegations against Canadian teacher
Elsa Donohue, principal at the Jakarta Intercultural School where Burlington native Neil Bantleman worked, rejected the prosecution's time line during testimony in an Indonesian court Thursday, says Neil's brother Guy Bantleman.
Guy Bantleman said he, as well as Neil's wife Tracy, were "dumbfounded" the prosecution called Donohue to testify in the Jakarta court. She has consistently defended Neil Bantleman against allegations he and teaching assistant Ferdinant Tjiong were part of the alleged rape of three kindergarten aged kids at the Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS), formerly the Jakarta International School.
Guy Bantleman said Donohue had been previously connected to the alleged assault, in claims that she removed the boys from classes and brought them to Bantleman and Tjiong.
Five janitors from the school have been convicted in the alleged rape of the three boys. Six had been arrested, although one had died while in custody. One of the mothers has filed a $125-million (USD) civil lawsuit, according to a previous report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Guy Bantleman works in the Greater Toronto Area but spoke with Tracy Bantleman, who was at the trial. He said prosecutors tried to bait Donohue into dates and incidents of sexual assault, which she denied.
"There's no dates, there's no evidence," Guy Bantleman said.
Bantleman and Tjiong have been in police custody since July 2014, and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Their trial is expected to last three months, during which Bantleman's family is urging Ottawa to publicly declare its support for the Ontario man.
Bantleman taught in Calgary for 10 years before working at the Jakarta International School.