A German tourist caused a stir when she appeared nude during a Balinese dance performance at Puri Saraswati Ubud on the evening of Wednesday, 24th May 2023.
The incident unfolded after the 28-year-old woman, identified only as T, had a dispute with the ticket clerk at the venue and was subsequently ejected from the premises. T later returned completely naked, vandalised the stage entrance, and walked around while the dancers were performing.
Police Commissioner Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto, the Head of Public Relations for the Bali Police, revealed that T had been staying alone in Ubud from 17th-22nd May. Setianto further explained that during her time at a villa, she had been frequently walking around naked.
Following the incident, T was escorted by the villa staff to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Monday morning. However, she returned to the villa at noon, seeking temporary accommodation in the lobby while waiting for a friend. Her presence disturbed other guests, prompting the staff to ask her to leave around 7 pm T complied but left her suitcase behind.
Concerned about T’s behaviour, the Ubud Police Chief, together with the Municipal Police and the villa staff, escorted her to a mental hospital in Bangli.
Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, the Head of the Bali Civil Service Police Unit, explained that T was suffering from sudden stress, causing her to forget herself and her actions.
Gianyar Police Chief Ketut Widiada revealed that T was stressed due to a lack of funds and inability to pay for the villa, leaving her unable to return to her home country.
Widiada stated that he had coordinated with the German Consulate and Immigration for T’s deportation. The Head of the Denpasar Immigration Office, Tedy Riyandi, mentioned that T’s family would pick her up and take her back home once her mental condition improved. Riyandi clarified that no action could be taken at present due to T’s suspected psychiatric disorder.
T had previously visited Bali in 2019 using a Visa on Arrival (VoA) and returned with another VoA on 5th March, 2023. Barron Ichsan, the Head of the Immigration Division at Bali’s Law and Human Rights Ministry, confirmed that T had no immigration violations during her time in Bali. Deportation would be considered once her mental state had stabilised.
Nyoman Kenak, Chairperson of the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Bali, expressed regret over the incident and questioned the role of security officers in preventing such occurrences.
The Bali Province Tourism Office intends to coordinate with relevant stakeholders and provide guidance to prevent similar incidents, as the increasing number of violations going viral on social media has the potential to damage Bali’s tourism image internationally.
She is from Germany
Absolutely in shock at the disrespect, foreigners are not allowed in Balinese temples and she break in. . . . . Naked?
WHY does BALI get the most horrendous tourists pic.twitter.com/EVn0uoqSSZ— Novrian Putra Bratama (@PutraBratamaXo) May 25, 2023