A Nigerian man has been handed a one-year prison sentence by the Denpasar District Court after being found guilty of attempting to rape a female tourist from Australia while they were both on vacation in Bali.
Idongesit Joseph Zion, a Nigerian national, was convicted of the crime of attempted rape against the Australian woman, identified as KTR.
Presiding Judge Ida Bagus Bamadewa Patiputra delivered the verdict on Thursday yesterday, stating, “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 found that Zion had fulfilled the elements of Article 285 of the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 53 paragraph 1, which deals with attempted rape. Additionally, the court noted that Zion’s actions violated decency values, further aggravating the case.
“The aggravating factors include clear harm to the victim and the violation of decency values. The victim suffered losses and felt violated as a woman,” said Prosecutor Ni Made Desi Pratiwi.
On the other hand, the court considered mitigating factors, such as the fact that both the victim and the defendant had forgiven each other during the initial trial. As a result, the prosecution and Zion’s defense expressed their intention to review the judge’s sentence.
The incident unfolded when KTR and Zion crossed paths at Finn Club on Berawa Beach Street in Canggu on Dec.2 last year. KTR was accompanied by her sister, while Zion was accompanied by a friend.
Following an interaction with Zion, KTR lost interest and decided to leave the club. Sensing her intention, Zion attempted to win her sympathy by offering her a ride back to her hotel.
Despite KTR’s refusal, Zion persisted and even went so far as to order an online motorcycle taxi for her. Falling victim to Zion’s deceit, KTR unknowingly got on the motorbike, which took her to Zion’s residence on Teuku Umar Street. It was there that Zion made his attempt to rape her.
Fortunately, KTR managed to raise an alarm just before the assault occurred. With the help of Zion’s friend and her sister, she was able to escape the horrifying ordeal.
