He denies any sexual assault.
A 53-year-old Frenchman was sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting a boy in Bali, the justice of this Indonesian island popular with tourists announced Thursday.
Emmanuel Maillet was sentenced on Tuesday during a closed session of the court, held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to prosecutor Bagus Putra Gede Agung.
The sentence was not made public until Thursday.
Prosecutors had requested a twelve-year sentence against Emmanuel Maillet for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy living on the island, said the magistrate.
"We are still discussing the possibility of appealing," he added, adding that medical examinations had confirmed that the boy had suffered sexual violence.
The Frenchman plans to appeal
Emmanuel Maillet's lawyer said his client was also considering appealing the sentence, which includes a fine of 100 million rupees (over 5,700 euros) or an additional three months in prison.
The man denies having sexually assaulted the child or having threatened him in order to remain silent about the facts.
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Last year, another Frenchman, a retiree suspected of sexual violence against more than 300 minors, committed suicide in his cell in Indonesia.
He risked a heavy prison sentence, chemical castration, and even the death penalty, if convicted on a series of charges falling under Indonesian child protection law.
