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Riau court acquits university dean in sexual violence trial
A Riau court has acquitted a university dean in the first widely publicized sexual violence trial since the enactment of a ministerial regulation on sexual violence at tertiary institutions.
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(Illustration of sexual assault) The Pekanbaru District Court on March 30, 2020 acquitted a Riau University dean who was tried for sexual violence against a student. (Shutterstock/File)
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iau University lecturer and inactive social and political sciences dean Syafri Harto, who was charged with sexual harassment against one of his students, was released from the Riau Police detention center after he was acquitted of all charges on Wednesday.
The Pekanbaru District Court handed down a verdict of not guilty on Wednesday, citing lack of evidence.
“The defendant was not proven guilty in committing the crimes as indicted by the prosecution,” presiding judge Estiono said as quoted by Tempo.co on Wednesday. The court also ordered prosecutors to release Syafri from detention and rehabilitate his reputation.
Prosecutors had demanded a three-year prison sentence for Syafri after indicting him under Article 289 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), which carries maximum penalty of up to nine years in prison.
The prosecution said it would review the verdict before deciding whether to appeal against the ruling, Kompas TV reported.
Doni Fernando, Syafri’s lawyer, said he was prepared to defend his client at the high court if prosecutors decided to pursue an appeal.
“We are waiting for the prosecutors’ [next] step,” said Dodi as quoted by Tempo.co. “We are ready to accompany Pak Syafri Harto until the decision becomes legally binding.”
