An investigation by the CBC's "The Fifth Estate" raises troubling questions about the evidence used to wrongfully convict a Burlington teacher of sexually assaulting young students at a school in Indonesia.
Neil Bantleman and his spouse, Tracy, are currently stuck in limbo in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta awaiting a final decision in the case.
Bantleman, 46, spent 13 months in jail after being charged and convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 10 years in prison. A teaching assistant and six cleaners at the prestigious school were also charged.
Last August, a Jakarta High Court overturned Bantleman's conviction, but the prosecutor launched an appeal. Bantleman's passport was seized until a decision is rendered in the appeal.
In a special report titled "Nightmare in Indonesia" airing Friday, "The Fifth Estate" tracked down the parents of one boy who was an alleged victim to an undisclosed location in Europe where the family now lives.
A key piece of evidence against Bantleman was a medical report brandished by the mother purportedly indicating her son had contracted herpes as the result of the sexual assault at the school.
"The Fifth Estate" obtained four separate lab reports from the mother and gave them to a Toronto infectious diseases specialist to analyze. The doctor told the CBC the reports actually contradict the mother and show the boy tested negative for the herpes virus.
"The Fifth Estate" then had the boy tested independently with the mother's approval at a European clinic and once again, the report showed the child had no sign of herpes.
The parents told the CBC they continue to believe their son was sexually assaulted.
The CBC also notes one of the alleged sexual assaults was supposed to have occurred in Bantleman's office during school hours. "The Fifth Estate" visited the school and the footage in the report shows Bantleman's office is four walls of glass located in the middle of the busy school and that no one witnessed any of the alleged victims in the office.
One boy said he was assaulted in a secret room near a second-floor staff lounge. Despite an exhaustive search, no such room was found and there was also no DNA evidence or fingerprints found.
The mother interviewed by the CBC had launched a $12.5 million US lawsuit against the school, but midway through the case, she announced at a press conference she was increasing the damage claim to $125 million US.
The lawsuit has since been thrown out of court.
"The Fifth Estate" interviewed the prosecutor of Bantleman's case who remains convinced he has a solid case.
"Because we had that belief, it was our duty to protect the interests of the country and society to bring this case to the courts," he told the CBC.
Bantleman's own lawyer in Indonesia tells the CBC he has warned his client to be prepared for the possibility he could be returned to prison to finish serving the remainder of his 10-year sentence.
Meanwhile, Bantleman and his spouse remain trapped in Indonesia, unable to leave the country until the country's Supreme Court hands down a final verdict.
They remain hopeful the convictions will be tossed out once and for all.
"I guess we look towards the future with positivity and anticipation of being able to touch back down on Canadian soil and seeing our parents and celebrating truth and justice and freedom," Bantleman says as the report concludes.
"Nightmare in Indonesia" will be broadcast at 9 p.m. Friday.
Source: "Nightmare in Indonesia:" In depth look at Burlington teacher's wrongful conviction
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