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Photos prove student did not commit suicide: Forensics expert
A forensics expert insists that recently revealed photographs of the body of David Hartanto Widjaja, an Indonesian student who died at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on March 2, prove he died defending himself against knife attacks
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A forensics expert insists that recently revealed photographs of the body of David Hartanto Widjaja, an Indonesian student who died at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on March 2, prove he died defending himself against knife attacks.
Djaja Surya Atmadja, a noted forensic expert from the University of Indonesia who had seen the photographs, said Friday that all wounds on the body emphasized the fact David had not committed suicide as reported.
The photographs, which The Jakarta Post also obtained, show several defense wounds that have never been revealed in or out of the Singaporean court, Djaja says.
"I can assume, based on the photographs, David was attacked by one or two people with a knife," he told the Post in a telephone conversation.
Early reports in the Singaporean media had accused David of stabbing his professor at NTU, Chan Kap Luk, before slitting his wrists and jumping to his death.
One of several defense wounds found on the body is a deep diagonal 20-centimeter-long cut on the right hand near the wrist, Djaja said after observing the photographs.
A diagonal cut, he said, showed David was more likely to have been warding off a knife attack against him.
"If David wanted to commit suicide, he would not have cut his hand that way *diagonally*, but with a flat cut along his wrist," Djaja said.
The pictures also showed David's right leg had been twisted, which Djaja believes was caused by somebody, or was sustained because the leg had been stuck before David fell.
"I'm sure the twisted leg was not caused by the fall," Djaja said.
The photographs also showed David's right palm was covered in small flat wounds.
Such wounds could have been caused by David clenching the knife in a defensive position, Djaja said.
Djaja said he would attend the next hearing at the Singaporean coroner's court on June 24 and 25, to explain the forensic facts, based on photographs, that wounds on David's body were defense injuries.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for David's family, Otto Cornelius Kaligis told the Post he would undertake whatever measures were necessary to prove David was not guilty and that he had been attacked.
"I have found many irregularities in the legal processing of David's case in Singapore," Kaligis said, adding that he suspected the Singaporean officials had been covering up many significant facts.
David's father, Hartono Widjaja, said his family had tried to present nine of David's NTU fellow students as witnesses to the court, but only one was approved by court officials.
"But all 27 witnesses from NTU's side were approved," he said.
Both Kaligis and Hartono suspected the court process was intentionally directed to a conclusion of suicide, despite evidence showing a strong possibility of murder.
Only if the coroner court finds it was not suicide will the case be forwarded to the criminal court. (bbs)
