Brother speaks as Bantleman jailed 30 more days

A Burlington man who has been behind bars in Indonesia for 60 days without charges is being held for another month.

Neil Bantleman has been in jail there since mid-July. CHCH News spoke to his brother this morning, who says Neil was handed papers last night telling him he’ll be spending another 30 days there.

Bantleman works as a teacher in Jakarta. He and a colleague are being held on accusations they sexually abused three students.

He’s yet to be charged with anything and his family says he’s being held with no evidence. Brother Guy Bantleman says they anticipated this but his family is still shocked and disappointed by the news.

He says he believes the extended detention is to make sure the police show they’ve done everything possible.

“The police really didn’t have to do what they did as far as detaining Neil. So it’s almost like you have to let the police extract themselves from the situation they put themselves in and they have to be able to save face.”

“They need to be able to say we’ve investigated thoroughly and there is no evidence there and is no issue that occurred. My assumption is that will go on for another 20-30 days.”

“They can’t hold him for more than 120 days so we are halfway there and the other is the file can’t go back and forth between police and prosecutor more than three times.”

His brother says Bantleman met with Canada’s ambassador to Indonesia yesterday, who assured him his case is high priority.