An alleged incident involving the violation of a woman’s privacy during a sacred Balinese purification ritual at Pura Tirta Empul in Gianyar has prompted authorities to take action. The victim claims she was surreptitiously recorded while changing clothes after participating in the melukat ritual.
The distressing episode reportedly unfolded in a women’s changing area last Saturday. The victim, Ninda, took to TikTok on the very same day to share her traumatic experience under the handle @nindameilinda.
With a disclaimer that she wanted to make the alleged case go viral as a cautionary tale, Ninda urged fellow women to exercise caution while performing the ritual at Pura Tirta Empul, as well as elsewhere in Bali.
“Guys, especially girls, please be vigilant and look around before changing your clothes after melukat,” she advised in her post, explaining that the alleged peeper had used a phone to film her changing.
In a follow-up video, Ninda said that the Tampaksiring Police has taken on the case.
Tampaksiring Police Chief Gede Endrawan was quoted by DetikBali as saying that the authorities have questioned several witnesses in relation to the case, including Ninda and a photographer who worked on the tourist destination.
Endrawan added that the local village authorities have agreed to add CCTV cameras in the area and provide official IDs for photographers who operated in the area.
Responding to this alarming revelation, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno has called upon the Bali Tourism Agency to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
Speaking during “The Weekly Brief With Sandi Uno” on Monday, he expressed his concerns, stating, “If this incident is indeed proven to be true, appropriate sanctions should be imposed on the individual responsible for recording.”
Sandiaga emphasized the need to respect the privacy of individuals during the melukat ritual, stating, “Recording someone while changing clothes, whether in public spaces, at home, or in the office, is highly inappropriate and unacceptable.”
In the same vein, I Ketut Yadnya, the Head of the Marketing Subdivision at the Bali Tourism Agency, confirmed that they have promptly reported the incident to the local police. He encouraged the public to immediately report any criminal activities within the tourism sector directly to the police.
“We are committed to pursuing this case diligently, and we have already submitted a report to the task force. The Bali Regional Police are part of this task force, and if the allegations are substantiated, a comprehensive investigation will follow,” Ketut Yadnya affirmed.
