Neil Bantleman to hear verdict in child sex assault case in April

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman will hear the verdict in his child sex assault case on April 2, the judges in his Indonesian trial said on Friday.

The three judges presiding over the case also decreed March 3 would be the last day for the defence to call witnesses, a move supporters of Bantleman, who is originally from Burlington, Ont. and also taught in Calgary, and his co-accused, Ferdinant Tijong, an Indonesian teaching aide, say unfairly alters the trial.

• Neil Bantleman trial in Indonesia: Liberals call for Canadian pressure

• Indonesian school principal rejects case against Neil Bantleman

Bantleman and Tjiong have been in custody since July when allegations were made that they sexually abused three schoolchildren at the Jakarta Intercultural School, where both worked. Both deny committing any crime. 

The two men were back in court on Friday, where the defence called five witnesses including the school's head of facilities development, an early childhood teacher, an Indonesia-based social worker, and two teaching assistants who worked with some of the alleged victims.

Guy Bantleman, Neil's brother, sent a news release that was critical of the time limits placed on the defence.

Court rules, Guy Bantleman said, limit the defence to one hour of questioning. The prosecution then gets one hour for cross-examination, he said, before Neil Bantleman and Tijong get to ask questions for one more hour.

Guy Bantleman also pointed out the court's new timeline will mean the defence can only call witnesses for seven days, even though the prosecution called witnesses for 11 days to build its case.

Bantleman and Tijong are set to be back in court next Tuesday and Wednesday.