Aussie tourist’s horrific ordeal in Bali as partygoer tries to rape her after pretending to hire a motorcycle taxi back to her hotel
- Man found guilty by Bali court of attempted rape
- Lured Australian woman back to his accommodation
- Will serve one year in Balinese prison
A Nigerian man has been found guilty of attempting to rape an Australian woman after a night out at a popular beachside nightclub in Bali.
Idongesit Joseph Zion was sentenced to one year imprisonment by Chief Judge Ida Bagus Bamadewa Patiputra at the Denpasar District Court on July 6.
The court found that Zion had attempted to sexually assault an Australian woman, known as KTR, at his accommodation on Jalen Teuku Umar, in central Denpasar, on December 2, 2022.
The court heard Zion lured her to his accommodation after falsely claiming he was booking her a motorcycle taxi back to her hotel.
A Nigerian man has been found guilty of attempting to rape an Australian woman in Bali after tricking her into coming back to his accommodation on a motorcycle taxi (stock image)
Zion and KTR met at Finns Beach Bar, along the Berawa beachfront west of Denpasar, on a Friday night, according to Balinese news outlet Coconuts reported.
Zion, who was with his friend, started interacting with KTR, who was with her sister, before the Australian lost interest and attempted to leave.
He then incessantly attempted to keep in contact with the Australian, offering to purchase her a taxi back to her hotel.
The court heard although his initial proposal was refused by KTR, Zion would order an online motorcycle taxi for her.
Believing she was was returning to her own hotel, KTR accepted the gesture only to be taken to Zion’s accommodation where he would attempt to rape her.
Thanks to the help of her sister and Zion’s friend, KTR was able to escape and alert police.
The Denpasar District Court heard the Aussie had rejected the man’s advances at Finns Beach Bar (pictured) before being conned onto a motorcycle taxi travelling with him
Judge Ida Bagus Bamadewa Patiputra said Zion had caused ‘clear harm to the victim’ while also breaching decency values of the island.
‘The victim suffered losses and felt violated as a woman,’ Ida Bagus Bamadewa Patiputra said.
‘The defendant, Idongesit Joseph Zion, is declared legally and convincingly guilty of the crime of attempted rape. The defendant is sentenced to one year in prison.’
The court took mitigating factors into consideration during Zion’s sentencing, in particular, both parties apologising to each other during the course of the trial.
SmartTraveller, an Australian Government website that provides warnings for those travelling internationally, cautions tourists to ‘exercise a high degree of caution’.
The website notes ‘solo women’ are at a higher risk of being targeted, warning them to ‘be alert in taxis, crowds, bars and nightclubs’.
