The following press release (below in English and Indonesian) came out this morning from the NGO Forum and Rede Feto (the Women's Network). This afternoon, there was a preliminary hearing on the case at which the Investigative Judge decided that Dr. Lobo will remain in detention until his trial for the protection of his wife, the victim in the case, and because there is a risk that he will leave the country. The judge also refused repeated requests from Dr. Lobo and his lawyers to hear directly from their four children (ranging from age 7 to 14) who were present in the courtroom. The children have been in the care of Dr. Lobo and his family since February. There were many people present at the public hearing, including press and local and international monitors.

La'o Hamutuk

Press Release 12 July 2001

Public Figure Detained Again for Domestic Violence

On 10 July 2001, Dr. Sergio Lobo, former Chairman of the Department of Health for ETTA (East Timor Transitional Authority), was detained in Dili for physically assaulting his wife. This detention follows a detention in February 2001 on the same charges. The court is expected to set a trial date for the criminal case against Dr. Lobo sometime in July.

The NGO Forum,the East Timor Women s Network and the newly formed Judicial System Monitoring Program will be monitoring the case closely. These groups are concerned that the justice system should treat all cases of domestic violence equally seriously and should not demonstrate preferential treatment to accused persons in positions of power.

This case will set a precedent for future cases of domestic violence and for any cases that involve a high-level official, said Filomena Reis, Advocacy Officer for the East Timor NGO Forum. Our legal system must treat all people equally.

Civil society groups were stunned when Dr. Lobo was given unconditional release by the court after his arrest in February. Even independent legal observers find the failure of detention of the accused surprising. The case is an important test of the new judicial system of East Timor, said Christian Ranheim, a Norwegian lawyer from the Judicial System Monitoring Program. We are at the moment looking at pre-trial conditions, including the release of the accused. Although the Investigating Judge has exclusive right to decide on the use of detention, it seems clear to us that the rights of the victim have been violated in this case.

Civil society groups and the Women's Network stress that the issue of domestic violence must be recognized by all as a serious social problem in East Timor.

There has been a substancial increase in the number of reports of domestic violence in East Timor since the referendum on independence in 1999. Prosecution of cases, however, has been very slow. Many East Timorese still believe that domestic violence is a private issue and is therefore not fit for a public courtroom, said Laura Abrantes from the East Timor Women s Network. A crime is a crime, whether committed on the street or in one s home.

In February 2001, Dr. Sergio Lobo was accused of beating his wife with a stick and injecting a sedative into her arm with a syringe he had brought for this purpose. On 9 July 2001, Dr. Lobo was accused of assaulting his wife again at the Hotel Audian. The victim in the case describes a history of severe physical and emotional violence that spans her 15 years of marriage to Dr. Lobo.

Contact Persons:

· Filomena Reis, East Timor NGO Forum (0407-015-968)

· Laura Abrantes, Rede Feto/East Timor Women s Network (0418-840-127)

Pernyataan Pers/Press Release 12 Juli 2001

Tokoh Masyarakat Ditahan Lagi Untuk Kekerasan Rumah Tangga

Pada Tanggal 10 Juli 2001, Dr. Sergio Lobo, bekas ketua Departemen Kesehatan ETTA (East Timor Transitional Authority), ditahan di Dili dituduh menganiaya istrinya dengan cara kekerasan. Penahanan ini mengikuti penahanan pada bulan Februari tahun ini dengan tuduhan yang sama. Pengadilan diharapkan menentukan tanggal sidang untuk kasus pidana terhadap Dr. Lobo dalam bulan Juli ini.

NGO Forum, Jaringan Perempuan Timor Lorosa e serta Program Pemantauan Sistim Pengadilan yang baru didirikan akan memantau kasus ini dengan seksama. Kelompok ini berupaya agar sistim pengadilan memandang semua kasus kekerasan rumah tangga dengan perhatian serius, sama dan tidak boleh mengistimewakan seorang tertuduh yang berkedudukan tinggi.

Kasus ini akan dijadikan preseden untuk kasus-kasus kekerasan rumah tangga berikutnya dan untuk semua kasus yang melibatkan pejabat masyarakat tinggi , kata Filomena Reis, Staf Advokasi di NGO Forum Timor Lorosa e. Sistem pengadilan kita harus memperlakukan semua orang dengan cara sama .

Kelompok-kelompok masyarakat terkejut waktu Dr. Lobo dibebaskan tanpa syarat dari penahanannya pada bulan Februari. Pemantau hukum independen juga heran karena dibebaskannya. Kasus ini menjadi ujian untuk sistem pengadilan Timor Lorosa e yang baru , kata Christian Ranheim, seorang pengacara dari Norwegia dari Program Pemantauan Sistem Pengadilan. Sementara kami ini memantau proses pra-peradilan, termasuk pembebasan tertuduh. Walaupun hakim yang melaksanakan investigasi mempunyai hak eksklusip mengenai penahanan tertuduh, kelihatannya terjadi pelanggaran hak korban dalam kasus ini.

Kelompok-kelompok masyarakat sipil dan jaringan perempuan menekankan bahwa masalah kekerasan rumah tangga harus diakui oleh semua orang sebagai masalah serius di Timor Lorosa e.

Jumlah laporan tindak kekerasan rumah tangga di Timor Lorosa e sudah meningkat tinggi sejak referendum pada tahun 1999. Tetapi penuntutan kasus-kasus tersebut berjalan sangat lamban. Banyak orang Timor percaya bahwa kekerasan rumah tangga adalah masalah pribadi dan tidak patut disidangkan di hadapan umum, kata Laura Abrantes dari Jaringan Perempuan Timor Lorosa e. Kejahatan adalah kejahatan, baik dilakukan di jalan atau di rumah.

Pada bulan Februari, Dr. Sergio Lobo, si tertuduh menganiaya istrinya dengan sepotong kayu serta suntikan obat bius pada lengan dengan mempergunakan alat suntik yang dipersiapkan olehnya khusus untuk tujuan penganiayaan ini. Pada Tanggal 9 Juli, tertuduh menganiaya istrinya lagi di Hotel Audian. Korban dalam kasus ini menceritakan riwayat kekerasan fisik dan emosi yang berjalan selama pernikahannya dengan Dr. Lobo selama 15 tahun.

Orang yang dapat dihubungi:

Filomena Reis, East Timor NGO Forum (0407-015-968) Laura Abrantes, Rede Feto/ East Timor Women s Network (0418-840-127)

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