A Balinese man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a Japanese tourist during a massage.
Bali Police have arrested local man I Ketut Budita, 42, over a report of sexual abuse on Saturday.
Denpasar Police Criminal Investigation Chief I Wayan Arta Ariawan briefed media over the case on Wednesday.
The 53-year-old Japanese man, who made the report, was at a bar in the Badung area, when he was offered a drink by the suspect, Ariawan told reporters.
“Because the victim claimed to have no money, the suspect said he would pay. So the victim had a small bottle of beer. Because the atmosphere was very crowded, the suspect took the victim out of the club to chat. There, the suspect said he had worked at a spa and could later massage the victim, who was willing to bring the suspect back to his hotel to do the massage,” Detik quoted Ariawan as saying.
“When getting the massage, the victim felt strange because the suspect started kissing his back and massaging his groin,” Ariawan said.
The events almost sound like they could have been one massive misunderstanding, but the policeman’s next statement describing the chronology asserts it was not consensual.
As the suspect started embracing him, the Japanese man tried to get up but was pushed back down, said the police chief.
“The suspect immediately grabbed the victim’s hand tightly and pressed it until the victim could not move. The victim continued to fight and shouted, then the suspect quickly fled from the victim’s room,” Ariawan continued.
After conducting an investigation prompted by the Japanese national’s report, police on Sunday ended up arresting Budita, who is now accused of violating Article 289 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of nine years behind bars
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