Indonesia grants clemency to Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman convicted of child sex abuse

Bantleman was convicted in 2014 on charges of abusing kindergarten students at the Jakarta Intercultural School

‘Five years ago I was wrongfully accused and convicted of crimes I did not commit’, the man said in a statement

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Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:16pm, 12 Jul 2019Updated: 9:21pm, 12 Jul 2019

Indonesia has granted clemency to a Canadian teacher convicted of sexually abusing students, an official said on Friday, in a case that critics say was riddled with irregularities and threw a spotlight on the Southeast Asian country’s justice system.

Neil Bantleman and Indonesian teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong were convicted in 2014 on charges of abusing kindergarten students at the Jakarta Intercultural School, where the children of many expatriates, diplomats and wealthy Indonesians are enrolled.

The pair have always maintained their innocence and the lack of transparency in the case was criticised by Canada and the United States, adding to concern about the lack of legal certainty in Indonesia.

Sri Utami, director general of correctional affairs at Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights ministry, said that Bantleman had been granted clemency.

Bantleman’s brother, Guy, said in a statement: “I am pleased to confirm that my brother Neil has safely returned to Canada.”

Bantleman was cited in the statement as saying: “Five years ago I was wrongfully accused and convicted of crimes I did not commit and furthermore never occurred.”