Prosecutors say they will appeal. Widianto, for his part, defended himself "by saying the marriage was allowed by his religion." Child protection advocates are quite correct that the ruling sets a bad precedent, but the precedent that contributes even more to the persistence of child marriage in Islamic countries is Muhammad's own example, having married Aisha at the age of six, and consummating the marriage when she was nine.
An update on this story. "Indonesia: Cleric cleared of sex abuse over child bride," from AdnKronos International, October 14:
Ungaran, 14 October (AKI/Jakarta Post) - An Indonesian court has acquitted controversial Muslim cleric Pujiono Cahyo Widianto over child sexual molestation charges for marrying an underage girl, aged 12 last year. Widianto risked up to 15 years in jail, had he been convicted of the charges. Prosecutors said they would appeal the court ruling. The girl is his second wife.
After hearing the charges and the plea from the legal team of Pujiono alias Syech Puji, 43, led by top lawyer O.C. Kaligis, presiding judge Hari Mulyanto deemed the charges unclear and inaccurate, meaning the trial could not proceed.
"The defendant is acquitted of the charges and should be released from detention," Hari told the trial at the Ungaran District Court, Central Java, which was open to the public.
Prosecutors had charged Pujiono, a wealthy brassware entrepreneur and owner of Miftahul Jannah Islamic boarding school in Jambu district of violating the 2002 law on child protection and article 290 of Indonesia's Criminal Code on child molestation for marrying an underage girl, Lutfiana Ulfa, just 12 years old and still an eighth grader, in August, 2008.
Pujiono's second wife, Lutfiana, and his first wife, Ummi Hani, also present in court, greeted the acquittal joyously and cried.
Prosecutors said they would file an appeal. "We will redraft the charges immediately and file an appeal," said prosecutor Didik Djoko Ady after the trial. He said the judges should have proceeded with the trial and heard the charges.
"Instead the judges acquitted the defendant and ended the trial," said Didik. He added his team would rework the indictments and resubmit them to the court.
The marriage became a controversial public issue, with the cleric defending himself by saying the marriage was allowed by his religion.
Women and child protection activists condemned the cleric and urged the police to take action against Widianto for violating child protection laws.
Director of the Legal Resource Center for Gender and Human Rights Eva Risan censured the court for dropping the charges.
"It's a bad precedent. The decision is legally flawed. The judges have no commitment to upholding child protection laws," Risan told The Jakarta Post after the ruling late on Tuesday.
She said her organisation, along with other organizations grouped under the Coalition for the Protection of Women and Children, would report the judges to Indonesia's Supreme Court and to the country's Judicial Commission.
Risan considered the judges were put under pressure as Pujiono always brought his supporters to the court sessions.
Just following Mad Man Mo's example.
Any other "prophet" out there beheading, raping, kidnapping, torturing, etc.?
Old Timer Mo 54 Deflowering Nubile Aisha 9
Something like this can only happen in Islam-o-land. Wonder if Yommie and Abie Mikey will leap to this cleric/pedophile's defense?
I think the Warlord invented Islam so he could do whatever the heck he wanted, including polygamy, including child-brides, and have "allah" take the rap for all the immorality.
"Hey don't look at me - Allah ok'd it - now, where's my next victim, er, I mean wife?"
Simply astounding how Mo's enormous Con continues to be the gift that keeps on giving, even into the 21st century.
Let's see now. Child protection laws vs. Sharia. If Sharia is all its cracked up to be, there would be no need for additional child protection laws. Somewhere deep in their souls, Muslims must know that molesting little girls is inherently immoral, disgusting, and does not deserve religious protection from any religious movement that purports to be divine.
If only Roman Polanski had reverted (perverted) to Islam and changed his name to Ar-Rumi Polanski, he'd have been granted immunity long ago for "cultural" reasons.
Minimum age of victim (age below which a person is not legally allowed to have sex)...Alabama 12...Several other states 13...
http://www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_sex/statelaws_chart/statelaws_chart.html
Ahhh another "misunderstanderer" (is that even a word?) of islam who is clearly not acting within its precepts.../sarc off
So now, to condemn paedophilia is to condemn Islam and therefore is not permitted??????
It's sad that the lawyer,O.C. Kaligis, a Christian, chose to take this case. I guess this was another feather in his cap.
the child cried joyously sound like this kid is suffering from Stockholm syndrome . funny how some pedophiles have converted to islam , but being able to have a child bride couldn't have anything to do with it could it???
Prosecutors say they will appeal. Widianto, for his part, defended himself "by saying the marriage was allowed by his religion."
Apparently, Widianto read 33:21 and the Sunnah and the Moslem prosecutors have not. Either that or this is a show trial being put on for consumption in the civilized world.
*** 33:51 ***
And shame on Roman Polanski. He shoulda looked for a condo in Dubai, not Paris.
Give Michael Jackson credit for being more savvy than poor Roman on that key legal point.
Robert,
I respect you with every fiber of my being, but that is not "marriage," that is child-rape, that is pedophilia, that is unspeakable evil.
I always use quotation marks around the words "wife," "bride," and "marriage" when referring to Muhammad and his youngest victim, little, prepubescent 'Aisha.
Just a suggestion, submitted humbly,
Amillennialist
Age of Consent:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent
It is amazing that Indonesia is deemed to be a moderate Moslem country. If you bring your mob with you, justice will not be done.
Both wives cried joyously on his acquittal. I had to read that a few times. Was it bad English? Was the "joyous" bit imagined by whoever reported this? What is going on? Are we wrong to condemn arranged marriages, child marriages, polygamy, etc, when the females involved simply adore their "husband" and can't wait to be getting on with married life after this interruption?
Weird.
And how do we know that this person is a Christian? Do you have a source? It was not stated in the article.
"Prosecutors had charged Pujiono, a wealthy brassware entrepreneur and owner of Miftahul Jannah Islamic boarding school in Jambu district of violating the 2002 law on child protection and article 290 of Indonesia's Criminal Code on child molestation for marrying an underage girl, Lutfiana Ulfa, just 12 years old and still an eighth grader, in August, 2008."
Are the judges not responsible for ignoring Indonesia's Criminal Code? Do you make it a habit of blaming non-believers for the crimes you commit?
No comment from AbdullahMikail?
Would he care to challenge this cleric? Clearly, he is well qualified to show where this cleric and the judges in this case have gone so wrong.
Oh please.
PG, it's called Stockhom Syndrome -- and while that pathology is relatively rare in the West, it is the norm among Muslim women (and girls). Perhaps it should be renamed "Medina Syndrome".