- VIVAnews/Anhar Rizki Affandi
VIVAnews – Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Mahfud MD, said that the verdict on the sandals theft toward AAL is well-suited. According to Mahfud, this action is an example of impartial law enforcement.
“Formally, I think the prosecutor and the court were correct. There is only one action,” said Mahfud MD today, Jan 5.
“If we do not enforce the law, there will be criticism,” he said.
However, Mahfud said that substantially, not every violation which is formally guilty is deemed as substantially wrong. He believed than the legal measures taken by the prosecutor and the court were normal and fair.
“It was a guilty verdict although he was not punished. I think this is not too much for AAL. Let the court decide the punishment. The court has made the decision,” he said.
Mahfud said that if legal actions were not taken by law enforcers, similar cases may arise in the future.
“What if someone is guilty and then said that a child did the offense, then this will be troubling. There will be many people violating the law just because they’re children,” he said.
Mahfud didn’t blame people’s excessive reaction about the case. “I agree with the people who protested against the case by collecting sandals. It’s a protest against police’s haphazard act. So, it’s also appropriate,” he said.
To date, the verdict against AAL is not whether he will go to prison or not, said Secretary General of Indonesia’s Child Protection Commission (KPAI), M Ikhsan.
He said that there were several bizarre findings in the case. “First off, AAL was proven not guilty judging from the court proceeding and evidence and witness examinations, as well as investigation results. He didn’t steal, but he picked up the sandal from the sidewalk,” Ikhsan told VIVAnews, Thursday, Jan 5.
The sandals that he picked up was not Briptu Ahmad’s. He took Eiger sandals, not Ando. “AAL was supposed to be declared not guilty,” he added.
Ikhsan said that although AAL is returned back to his parents, it will be hard for him to face the future with a guilty verdict. “He will bear the psychological burden of a thief for the rest of his life.”
