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ransisca Lindia, the 37-year-old wife of Ferdinant Tjiong, feels as though her life has been upended since her husband, a teacher'€™s assistant, was named a suspect in a case centering on the sexual assault of three kindergarten pupils at Jakarta International School (JIS).

While her husband is detained by the police, Fransisca has had to stay strong for her family. She lends moral support to her husband, who she believes has been wrongly accused, while ensuring that their two daughters are not affected by the case.

'€œI ban my daughters from watching news and transferred them to a new school when their father'€™s name started being mentioned in the case. I finally took them out of school and we moved after my husband was named a suspect,'€ she said.

Fransisca said her family also received threats. '€œSome people have said that my husband should admit to what he'€™s been accused of if he wants my kids and I to stay safe,'€ she said.

According to the mother of two, although her husband has yet to stand trial, many people, especially the media, have judged them severely.

'€œThe media has repeatedly produced unbalanced reports, discrediting my husband and his colleague Neil Bantlemen,'€ she said.

Fransisca'€™s husband and Canadian teacher Bantlemen have been detained for almost two months. Fellow teachers and Fransisca have argued that both were detained without adequate evidence. '€œI want this case to be resolved quickly,'€ she said.

She also hoped government institutions such as the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) would not take sides in the case.

'€œMy daughters are also Indonesian children. Who is going to protect them?'€ she said.

Allegations of sexual assault first emerged when the mother of the first alleged victim held a press conference, telling the public about her son'€™s case. She said her son was assaulted by janitors at JIS. The police have arrested six outsourced cleaners, one of whom died while in police custody, for allegedly raping the 6-year-old boy in a JIS restroom. The remaining five outsourced cleaners are now standing trial.

Ferdinant and Bantleman, who worked at JIS for 17 and four years, respectively, were detained on July 15 after the parents of two other alleged victims filed reports against the JIS teachers. They accused the two staffers of sexually assaulting their sons.

JIS kindergarten and elementary school principal Elsa Donohue was accused of aiding the two suspects and has since been questioned as a witness in the case.

A report was also filed alleging that Ferdinant and Bantleman also assaulted the first alleged victim.

Ferdinant and Bantleman have received endless support from their colleagues, students and the parents who believe that both staffers are not guilty.

JIS lawyer Harry Ponto claimed that the case was fabricated. '€œThe case was developed only by the accusations of the mothers without hard evidence,'€ he said.

Harry also questioned the motives of the victims'€™ parents, who drastically increased the amount of compensation demanded in the case from US$12 million to $125 million '€” $25 million in material losses and $100 million in non-material losses.

'€œThey said that the alleged crimes occurred in the teacher'€™s lounge. The room is enclosed by floor to ceiling glass windows and is located next to the administrative office where seven staffers work all day,'€ he said.

He added that the staffers would have known if something occurred in the lounge but they were not questioned by police.

According to the parents of other JIS students, troubled students are never taken to the principal'€™s office but rather are required to see the school'€™s councilors. Parents are also always notified if their children seem to be facing any problems.

'€œFerdinant'€™s first grade class is not located in the same building as the kindergarten. It is unlikely that he interacted with the victims,'€ said Ferdinant'€™s colleague, Ahmad Sauti.

'€” JP/Corry Elyda