​Doctors testify there were no signs of sexual abuse in $125 million JIS civil case

Canadian school administrator Neil Bantleman (L) reacts as the translator explains the judges verdict during the criminal trial on April 2, 2015, in the case against him for sexually assaulting children at the Jakarta Intercultural School. Photo: AFP/BAYISMOYO

If you’ve been following the saga of the Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) sexual abuse case, then you already know that five janitors and two teachers were accused and convicted of molesting students at the prestigious international school.

You might also have heard the speculation that the cases, which were criticized for being highly problematic, were fueled by a $125 million (~Rp 1.6 trillion) civil case that the woman identified as TPW, the mother of an alleged victim, has filed against the school and which is currently going on right now in the South Jakarta District Court.

The latest evidence presented in the civil case came from defense witnesses testifying on behalf of JIS. A doctor from the SOS Medika clinic, Narain Punjabi, testified that he was the first person to do a medical examination on TPW’s child on March 22, 2014. He said that he found no physical signs of sexual abuse on the child. 

Punjabi also said that the child did not resist or show any signs of trauma when he examined the boy’s genitals and anus. Judiati Setyoningsih, the attorney representing JIS, argued that this went directly against TPW’s assertion that her son had been deeply traumatized at that point.

Judiati added that the results of laboratory examination of swabs taken from the child’s genitals and anus only indicated the presence of common bacteria or germs, while blood tests were inconclusive for any signs of sexually transmitted disease. 

Because of that, Punjabi asked TPW to bring her son in for re-examination a week later, but  she never did. 

Judiati said Punjabi’s testimony could be corroborated by Dr Octavinda of RSCM hospital, who also examined the boy.

“Two blood tests were carried out after examination at SOS Medika Clinic, one at RSPI dated May 2, 2014 and one at RS Bhayangkara dated July 16, 2014, both showed that the IgG antibody (of the victim) results were negative,” Judiati told the court, as quoted by Liputan6. 

Judiati concluded this section of the trial by saying “Much of the medical data submitted does not prove what TPW has alleged. The description of the doctors and hospitals that examined (the victim) provide valid evidence that the alleged sexual assaults did not happen.”