Indonesia
Singaporean tourist harassed while filming in Bandung, case closed after victim accepts apology
Bandung police have arrested three individuals accused of sexually harassing a Singaporean tourist, Joanna, on New Year’s Eve. The case was later closed after the perpetrators apologised online, and Joanna chose not to pursue legal action.

INDONESIA: Bandung police have arrested three individuals accused of sexually harassing a Singaporean tourist on New Year’s Eve in the Braga area of Bandung City, West Java.
The victim, Joanna, a YouTuber known by the username Darien & Joanna, shared her distressing experience in a video posted on their YouTube channel.
In the vlog, Joanna and her partner, Darien, recounted the events while filming in the Braga area on the night of 31 December.
Joanna explained that, while filming, she initially tried to stay upbeat.
However, after reviewing the footage, she realised that a man had intentionally touched her, which was clearly not accidental.
“While filming our Bandung vlog, I tried to stay positive. But as I edited, I realised that the guy who walked past me intentionally touched me, and it wasn’t by accident,” she said.
Despite the harrowing experience, Joanna stressed that most Indonesians are kind and welcoming.
“I believe that ninety-nine percent of Indonesians are kind and great. Over our four months here, we’ve experienced so much happiness and kindness,” she said.
However, Joanna also felt strongly that the perpetrator should be caught.
“No one should be a victim of sexual assault and be silenced because of it,” she added.
Tourists Share Harassment Footage
Joanna shared a snippet of the vlog showing the group of men who had been following her and Darien along Braga Street.
The footage showed the men egging each other on, with one man in a blue shirt deliberately touching her buttocks as he walked past.
Another man, dressed in a black jacket, posed for the camera and stuck his tongue out several times.
Joanna had already started to feel uncomfortable, realising the men were following them.
“I thought they were following us because they wanted to be in the video for fun,” she said. The situation escalated as more men joined the group and continued to follow the couple.
Eventually, Joanna made eye contact with one of the perpetrators, who was laughing it off. She alerted Darien, who initially thought the men just wanted to be part of the video.
Upon reviewing the footage, Darien admitted he had misinterpreted the situation.
“I thought they were following us because they wanted to be part of the video. They wanted to have fun, which is very common for us.”
“But now that I’ve watched that and analysed their behaviour, it’s completely disgusting,” Darien said.
“They were egging each other on. They were trying to encourage each other to sexually assault Jo, and one of them even touched her and walked back.”
Darien called for justice, stating, “Let’s show the world that Indonesia has the right rule of law. You cannot simply touch a woman on the street and expect to get away with it.”
He concluded by urging viewers to help identify the men.
“If you have any information about them, please share it with us. You can reach us by email or in the comments,” he said.
Police Action
Bandung City Police Resort Commissioner Budi Sartono confirmed that after the victim contacted the Bandung Police Criminal Investigation Unit, the cyber team, along with the Women and Children Protection Unit, launched an investigation.
“Last night we managed to arrest the three suspected perpetrators, RF, RM, and MCA,” said Budi on Saturday (4 Jan).
The three suspects—RF (17), RM (18), and MCA (18)—are students from Cimaung, Bandung Regency.
According to Budi, the suspects were immediately interrogated.
In their preliminary statements, the suspects admitted to encountering the victims.
One of the suspects, RF, claimed that his hand accidentally touched the victim’s back while trying to overtake her on a narrow street.
Another suspect, RM, admitted to touching the victim’s bag, while MCA denied any physical contact.
Budi explained that the investigation is ongoing.
“This is still an initial examination, and we will try to contact the victim for further clarification,” he said.
Arief Syaifudin, the Head of the Bandung City Culture and Tourism Office, apologised for the incident, emphasising the city’s commitment to ensuring the safety and comfort of tourists.
“We apologise for the disturbance caused to tourists in Bandung by irresponsible individuals. The comfort of tourists is our priority,” he said.
Case Closure
The case was later closed after Joanna stated she would not pursue legal action, following an apology from the alleged perpetrators.
Darien and Joanna expressed their willingness to resolve the matter amicably, provided the perpetrators issued an open and sincere apology.
According to Budi, the Singapore Embassy confirmed that Joanna had decided to drop the case after the suspects apologised online.
“The victim stated she would not continue the case because she saw the alleged perpetrator’s apology,” Budi said.
The three suspects, in a video posted online, admitted their actions and apologised to the tourist and the people of Bandung for the inconvenience caused.
“It’s true that we were in the viral video with the Singaporean tourist,” said one of the suspects in the video.
The trio explained that they had been in the Braga area to watch a football match and unintentionally crossed paths with the victim while she was filming.
The perpetrators expressed regret and apologised for the incident.
“We apologise for our actions, and if they were displeasing, we apologise to the tourist and the people of Bandung,” said one of the suspects.

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