A Canadian school teacher who was convicted in 2014 after charges of sexual assault of students at an Indonesian school has been released by the Indonesian authorities.
Neil Bantleman, who was a teacher at Jakarta International School or JIS (now Jakarta Intercultural School) has been granted clemency by the Indonesian government.
“Five years ago, I was wrongfully accused and convicted of crimes I did not commit and, furthermore, never occurred,” Bantleman said in a statement. He also expressed his gratitude to the Canadian government for their commitment, support and steadfastness.
Bantleman and teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong were arrested in 2014 for allegedly assaulting students at JIS. Bantleman has since continued to maintain his innocence. In August 2015 his conviction was overturned. Indonesia’s Supreme Court reinstated his conviction in 2016, adding another year to his sentence.
The Canadian government has also been lobbying hard for his release. Foreign minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, has been known to bring up the case on multiple occasions during meetings with Indonesian officials.
Source: CBC
Image: The Epoch Times