Two Inactive Unsri Lecturers Undergo First Trial In Student Obscenity Cases

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

PALEMBANG - Two non-active lecturers of Sriwijaya University (Unsri) AR and R, as suspects in the alleged sexual harassment case, underwent a virtual inaugural trial by the Palembang District Court, South Sumatra.

The two suspects took part in an online trial from the Class IA Pakjo Detention Center, Palembang, Thursday, with the agenda of reading the indictment from the Public Prosecutor (KPU) of the South Sumatra High Court.

The trial started at 11.30 WIB, divided into two sessions, namely for suspect AR and for suspect R, because their indictment files were separate.

Meanwhile, in the trial room which was chaired directly by the Panel of Judges, Siti Fatimah and two member judges, it appeared that the suspect's attorney was present in person.

The first session of the trial which was closed to the general public ended at 11.54 WIB and the second session ended at 13.30 WIB.

Meanwhile, AR's legal adviser, Darmawan, said that the public prosecutor charged AR with Article 281, Article 289 of the Criminal Code Juncto Article 294 regarding obscenity and acts that attack the honor of decency.

According to him, AR accepted the indictment because the person concerned from the beginning of the investigation had admitted to the immoral act.

"Our client accepted the indictment. Since the beginning he has admitted that his actions were true," Darmawan after the trial.

Previously, on December 6, 2021, the Ditreskrimum of the South Sumatra Police named AR as a suspect in a case of alleged sexual harassment against a female student with the initials DR.

On December 10, 2021, R was named a suspect in a case of alleged verbal sexual harassment via text messages to his female students with the initials F, C, and D.

The indictment files of the two suspect lecturers were transferred to the Palembang District Court, Wednesday, February 16, by the Public Prosecutor.

Based on the results of the first stage of the investigation by the Ditreskrimum Polda Sumsel, sexual harassment by AR used the mode of providing thesis guidance to the victim. The harassment incident took place at the History Laboratory of the Unsri FKIP, Indralaya Campus, Ogan Ilir, on September 25, 2021.

Investigators from the South Sumatra Police noted a number of physical abuses by AR against the victim, such as kissing and touching the victim. This is based on the results of the crime scene (TKP) with the victim on December 1, 2021.

To investigators, AR admitted to the immoral acts he committed against his female student.

So, for this act, AR is threatened with a prison sentence of nine years, according to the article he is accused of, including being disabled as a lecturer and from his functional position at FKIP Unsri.

Meanwhile, R is threatened with imprisonment for a maximum of 12 years with a fine of at least Rp. 500 million and a maximum of Rp. 6 billion, as regulated in Article 9 Juncto Article 35 of Law (UU) Number 44 of 2008 concerning Pornography in conjunction with Article 65 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.

The article was suspected against R because it was in accordance with the results of the investigation supported by sufficient evidence.

The evidence that was secured consisted of three devices belonging to the victim, one device belonging to the suspect, the phone number of the victim and R, as well as a screenshot of a short message conversation via social media networks.

In the evidence in the form of a short message, suspect R invites the victim to make a sex video call and orders the victim to take off her upper underwear. Furthermore, R also said that he imagined the victim's body until his lust was satisfied.

As a result of the alleged sexual harassment case, the Rectorate of Unsri took a stand by disabling R from his position as Head of the Management Study Program, FE Unsri Palembang.