Bantleman family shocked by guilty verdict

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It wasn’t the verdict Neil Bantleman or his family wanted, but it wasn’t a surprise, either. The verdict was handed down earlier today. Neil Bantleman has been sentenced to ten years behind bars, but the family is already planning an appeal as they deal with the disappointing news.

” We are absolutely deeply disheartened and appalled by today’s verdict we are just literally in shock” says Neil Bantleman’s wife Tracy. It’s not the outcome they were hoping for. ” The decision of the judges is truly cruel and inhumane they absolutely disregarded the facts that were presented in the trial by our defense.”

In an Indonesian court today Neil Bantleman was found guilty of child sex abuse, and sentenced to 10 years behind bars. ” All I could continue to say in my head and in my heart is I love you I love you I love you he told me he was doing the same as the judge read out her verdict.”

The 45-year old teacher from Burlington was arrested in July, along with teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong, and charged with abusing three boys at the Jakarta International school in Indonesia. His family calls the claims “baseless and ridiculous”, and say the trial was one-sided. ” They’ve made my husband out to be an absolute monster which he is absolutely not.”

” They basically threw out every piece of evidence every witness every testimony everything submitted by the defense.” says Neil’s brother Guy Bantleman. Because of that, they anticipated the verdict. “It’s kind of surreal I think we kind of thought it was going to go this way but I have to say after discussion with our team over there and my sister in law what happened today is beyond comprehension.”

The Canadian Ambassador was in the courtroom in Indonesia today while the verdict was being read. Tracy Bantleman said he told her he was shocked and had never seen anything like this. She says she hopes the Canadian government will issue a statement in support of Neil. The family’s next step will be to file an appeal.