JAKARTA, Feb 25 — A Canadian and an Indonesian have been ordered back to jail for committing sex abuse at a Jakarta international school after their acquittals were overturned, a court official said today, the latest dramatic twist in the long-running case.

The Supreme Court in Jakarta yesterday overturned the acquittals handed down by the high court in the case of administrator Neil Bantleman, who also holds British nationality, and teaching assistant Ferdinad Tjiong, a court spokesman said.

Their sentences were increased to 11 years each, one year more than their original terms of 10 years handed down last year, for abusing young children at the school, said spokesman Suhadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

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“We believe Jakarta high court made a mistake in applying the law,” he told AFP, adding the judges decided the evidence in the original case had been “sufficient and convincing”.

Tjiong was returned to jail early today but authorities are still looking for Bantleman, said the South Jakarta district attorney’s office.

The American ambassador to Indonesia, Robert Blake, said the United States, which has strong links to the elite Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) and has backed the men throughout the case, was “shocked and disappointed” at the Supreme Court decision.

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“The international community continues to closely follow this case. The outcome of the legal process will impact international views about the rule of law in Indonesia,” he said in a statement on the US embassy website.

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The pair, who always maintained their innocence, were jailed in April last year after being found guilty of abusing young children at JIS in a case criticised as fraught with irregularities.  

They were freed from prison after the High Court in Jakarta unexpectedly overturned their convictions, only for prosecutors to appeal their acquittals.

The men have received strong support from the expatriate community and the school, which has been a favourite with foreigners and wealthy Indonesians for decades.

Supporters accuse police of a botched investigation, allege the original trial was unfair, and say much of the evidence was suspect.

Chandra Saptaji, spokesman for South Jakarta district attorney’s office, confirmed Tjiong had been returned to jail but added authorities were still looking for Bantleman.

“We are still looking for Neil, we hope he will cooperate,” he said.

When prosecutors appealed the acquittals, authorities ordered Bantleman to remain in Indonesia. 

Rully Iskandar, a spokesman for JIS, said Bantleman’s travel ban was supposed to remain in place until the end of February, pending the Supreme Court decision, but gave no indication where he was currently.

“We have been communicating with Neil’s and Ferdi’s family and of course they were shocked, this is unexpected,” said Iskandar.

Five Indonesian cleaners were also jailed last year for committing sexual abuse at JIS. Their lawyers claim they are innocent.

The scandal began in 2013 with allegations against the cleaners at the school before allegations were levelled at Bantleman and Tjiong.

The expatriate community in Jakarta was initially shocked at the claims of abuse, but horror quickly transformed into concern at what supporters say was an unfair attempt to target Bantleman and Tjiong by Indonesia’s notoriously corrupt police and judicial system. — AFP