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Lawyer says court overturns sexually abuse convictions against 2 teachers at Indonesia school

Associated Press
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FILE - In this April 2, 2015, file photo, Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman, center, is escorted by police prior to the start of his trial at South Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia. Jakarta High Court overturned convictions against Bantleman and an Indonesian teaching assistant who were serving 10 years in prison for sexually abusing three young children at a prestigious international school in Jakarta, their lawyer said Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File) (The Associated Press)

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman, right, kisses his wife Tracy, left, after he was released from Cipinang prison in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. A Canadian teacher and an Indonesian teaching assistant serving 10 years in an Indonesian prison for child sexual offenses were released Friday after a court overturned their convictions. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) (The Associated Press)

Indonesian Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman, right, and Indonesian teaching assistant Ferdinant Tjiong, left, raise their hands as they stand with lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, center, after they were released from Cipinang prison in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. A Canadian teacher and an Indonesian teaching assistant serving 10 years in an Indonesian prison for child sexual offenses were released Friday after a court overturned their convictions.(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) (The Associated Press)

A lawyer for a Canadian teacher and an Indonesian teaching assistant says a court has overturned their convictions of sexually abusing three young children at an international school in Jakarta.

Neil Bantleman, 45, and Ferdinant Tjiong were convicted in April of violating Indonesia's child protection law and were sentenced to 10 years in jail.

They appealed and their lawyer, Hotman Paris Hutapea, said Friday that the court has overturned both Bantleman and Tjiong's indecency convictions for raping three kindergarten students, now 6 and 7 years old, at the Jakarta International School. It is now called the Jakarta Intercultural School.

The school's principal and other teachers have alleged the case is a blackmail attempt as parents of one of the children are seeking $125 million in compensation.