MA Rejects Cassation, Ex Dean Of FISIP Unri Still Convicted Of Abusing His Student

Syafri Harto when he left the Riau Police, Wednesday (30/3/2022). (ANTARA/Annisa Firdausi)

JAKARTA - The Supreme Court (MA) has rejected the Public Prosecutor's (JPU) cassation request for alleged sexual abuse involving the former Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Universitas Riau (Unri) Syafri Harto.

On the Supreme Court's official website, the ruling issued on Tuesday, August 9, has the status "Reject".

This means that the Supreme Court judges that Syafri Harto is officially innocent on charges of sexual harassment committed against Unri students.

Syafri Harto's attorney, Dodi Fernando, said he was grateful for the Supreme Court's decision. Thus, the decision strengthens the decision of the Pekanbaru District Court (PN) which also declared his client innocent.

"With the cassation decision from the Supreme Court, it means that this case has signed or has permanent legal force. It has been completed. We have succeeded in proving that Syafri Harto never did what he was accused of," said Dodi when confirmed, quoted from Antara, Thursday, August 11.

Furthermore, with the Supreme Court's decision, he asked for Syafri Harto's honor and dignity to be restored, especially to the Unri side.

As a result of the alleged sexual harassment he committed, Syafri Harto was disabled from his position and his rights as an employee were also not paid because he was waiting for the decision on the cassation of Inkrah.

"Now with this decision, we hope that the university will return what belongs to Syafri Harto," he added.

Dodi admitted that his party also did not know the reason why the Supreme Court rejected the Pekanbaru District Court's appeal.

"We don't know yet. However, from the facts of the trial at the PN, we are sure that in the cassation process, they will also be released because there are no legal facts that can prove what Syafri Harto has been accused of," he said.

He explained that Syafri Harto was in good health and could joke around when he was met two weeks ago.