balinews Bali prosecutors have demanded five years in prison for the captain of a boat carrying seven Japanese women who went missing in the seas off the island in February. Prosecutor Putu Suparta Jaya told Denpasar district court on Tuesday that the defendant, Agustinus Brata Kusuma, was guilty of negligence that led to the loss of life by leaving the divers alone in the open seas during the trip. Putu was speaking at the arraignment of the defendant. “The defendant’s negligence also caused other divers to sustain injuries,” Putu said. The lead diver of the group, Furukawa Saori, told the court that she did not see any boat in the vicinity when she managed to resurface. Saori, a diving instructor, was on the trip with six other Japanese scuba divers who went missing near the island of Nusa Lembongan off the southern tip of Bali, an area known for its strong underwater currents. The women, all moderately experienced divers, were caught by the current and unable to maintain their position or bearings. Five managed to cling to a coral reef for three days before they were spotted and rescued by fisherman. The body of the sixth victim was found floating near a beach in southern Bali while the last victim, Shoko Takahashi, was found in March floating about a kilometer off Sendang Biru Beach on Sempu Island off Malang on the East Java mainland, some 400 kilometers from where she first went missing. Agustinus denied he had abandoned the divers. “I did not leave them behind,” he told the court. “I lost track of them. I tried to find them but I couldn’t.” Bali Boat Captain Indicted for Allegedly Abandoning Japanese Divers | The Jakarta Globe
