Acquittal of Burlington teacher Bantleman being appealed

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A Burlington teacher, acquitted last month of sexual assault charges in Indonesia, is headed back to court.

An appeal has been filed to the country’s supreme court and Neil Bantleman is forbidden to leave the country. The 45 year old had been serving a 10 year sentence in Jakarta when the August ruling resulted in his acquittal. He was released from prison but remained in Indonesia.

Bantleman and an Indonesian teaching assistant were convicted back in April of sexually abusing three kindergarten-aged children at the Jakarta International School where they worked. They appealed the decision to the Jakarta high court, which found Bantleman not guilty. But now, as the judicial process goes, the prosecutors have appealed to the supreme court.

Neil has maintained his innocence for the past 16 months, and the family is calling on the Canadian government to issue a statement of support.

Additional video: Annette Hamm interviews Bantleman’s brother about the prosecution’s appeal:

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