Singaporean couple harassed in Indonesia, police probe ends after apology
Three teenagers who harassed a Singaporean couple filming on 29 Dec 2024 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, have apologised, bringing the police investigation to a close.
According to CNN Indonesia, the Indonesian police ended their investigation after the victim accepted the apology from the teenagers, as reported on 5 Jan.
Bandung Police Chief Budi Sartono confirmed that the case was closed at the victim’s request.
Teenagers involved arrested
The Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian police arrested the teenagers on 3 Jan.
During questioning, the teenagers admitted to the incident, explaining that they encountered the married couple while on their way to a football match.
Two of the teenagers are reportedly under the age of 17, making them minors.
On 4 Jan, the police revealed that one of the teenagers confessed to making inappropriate gestures and touching the woman.
The other two teenagers, however, have denied any wrongdoings.
Couple posts incident on YouTube channel
In a video shared on the couple’s YouTube channel, the teenagers are seen following the couple while the man, Darien, films his impressions of Bandung.
Throughout the video, the teenagers attempt to enter the camera frame, strike poses, and mimic the woman, Joanna.
One of the teenagers, who is in blue, then appears to brush against Ms Joanna with his arm extended before rejoining his friends.
A text overlay claims that the man “touched her butt”, with Ms Joanna looking visibly uncomfortable afterward.
Source: Darien & Joanna on YouTube
When Ms Joanna later comments that someone is following them, Mr Darien advises her to ignore them.
Realisation of being harassed
However, after reviewing the footage, the couple, both 26, realised they had been harassed, especially when they noticed the teenagers encouraging one other.
Mr Darien described their behaviour as “disgusting” but was quick to clarify that this was “not representative of the behaviour of all Indonesians”.
Following the arrest of the suspects, the Bandung police shared a video on Instagram on 4 Jan, showing the teenagers holding up individual pieces of paper, with one apologising for what they did.
Source: @polrestabesbandung on Instagram
The police also confirmed that the teenagers would undergo counselling to address their behaviour.
Mr Budi stated that, while the victim had forgiven the perpetrators, the authorities would focus on rehabilitating the teenagers to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This step includes working with local social services to provide the teenagers with guidance and education on appropriate behaviour.
Request for apology is ‘not about revenge’
The couple had requested that the boys record an apology, addressing them, the people of Indonesia, and Bandung, as well as outlining the steps they would take to ensure they wouldn’t repeat their actions.
They emphasised that this was “not about revenge”. Rather, “it is about standing up against sexual harassment which no one, whether tourist or local, should ever have to go through”.
Source: @darienandjo on Instagram
The couple added that they “simply want to move on from this incident with the hope that something positive can come out of it”.
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Featured image adapted from Darien & Joanna on YouTube and @polrestabesbandung on Instagram.
