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No way David killed himself, claim RI pathologists
Indonesian forensic pathologists declared Monday the death of David Hartono Widjaya, an Indonesian university student in Singapore, was not from suicide, as ruled last week by a court in the city-state
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ndonesian forensic pathologists declared Monday the death of David Hartono Widjaya, an Indonesian university student in Singapore, was not from suicide, as ruled last week by a court in the city-state.
The University of Indonesia’s Djaja Surya Atmadja and Evi Untoro announced their conclusion Monday after analyzing the autopsy report from Singaporean authorities.
Djaja said they found incision wounds on David’s arms and hands.
“In this case, incision wounds on his upper limbs are consistent with defensive wounds,” he said at a press conference.
“This means David was attacked with a sharp weapon and tried to protect himself, thus leading to the multiple wounds.
“These finding are certainly not indicative of suicide.”
The analysis of the official autopsy was made on the request of David’s family, who remain adamant their son was murdered.
On July 29, the Singaporean coroner’s court ruled the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student had committed suicide by jumping from a campus building, after stabbing his professor with a
kitchen knife.
The court also heard that David, 21, had searched the Internet for ways to commit suicide and murder, prior to his much-debated death.
David was killed in a four-story fall at the NTU campus on March 6, 2009.
The case has drawn attention from various circles, including from Indonesian vice-president-elect Boediono, who called on the court to settle the case fairly.
Djaja added the autopsy showed David had injures to the torso, head and neck, and to internal organs.
“The laceration of left kidney was likely due to severe direct blunt force trauma to the torso, rather than by falling from a height,” he said.
David’s father, Hartono, denied reports his son had been under family or financial pressure.
“It’s all a big lie,” he said.
“We’re a harmonious family.”
Hartono also claimed to have been denied access to see his son after arriving in Singapore.
“I wanted to bathe my son’s body, but NTU wouldn’t allow it,” he said.
The family says it will take the case to an international court and present new evidence; it will return to Singapore this week to collect David’s cell phone and laptop PC.
Sr. Sgt. Joe Ng Suan Teck, who conducted the examination of the laptop, said the browser history showed David had Google for “a good way to commit suicide” and the 10 most common suicide methods.
Teck told the court that Internet searches and links to websites on suicide and murder had turned up.
But psychiatrist Dharmawan Purnama rejected the idea David had killed himself, saying he had displayed no signs of depression.
“There must be a more objective review to the Singapore ruling, since we’ve find no link between the David’s mental state and the motive for suicide, based on testimony from David’s friends and family,” he said.
