7-6-2023 (JAKARTA) An Australian surfer who was detained in Indonesia’s conservative province of Aceh after a drunken assault will be deported, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, a 23-year-old tourist from Noosa in southern Queensland, faced the possibility of a five-year prison sentence for attacking multiple individuals in April on the surf island of Simeulue.
However, Risby-Jones will now be returning home after offering his apologies and providing compensation to one of the injured victims. Fauzi, the head of the immigration office in Meulaboh city, West Aceh, stated that Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones is currently in their custody and is awaiting repatriation to his home country.
Aceh, known for its ultra-conservative nature, operates under special autonomous status and strictly forbids the consumption of alcohol. It is the only region in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, that implements Islamic law.
According to officials, the Australian tourist emerged naked from his local resort and proceeded to assault pedestrians, including a fisherman on a motorcycle, causing him to fall off and sustain injuries.
The victim, who was allegedly attacked, decided to forgive Risby-Jones, leading to the case being dropped, as confirmed by the surfer’s lawyer.
In an effort to cover the fisherman’s medical expenses, Risby-Jones paid 250 million rupiah (approximately US$16,800), which played a role in his avoidance of assault charges that carried a potential maximum sentence of five years.
After being transferred from detention on Simeulue Island to Meulaboh, Risby-Jones is set to fly back home later this week. On Tuesday, he made a public appearance at a press conference where he expressed remorse, standing alongside officials wearing a dark shirt.
“I made a fool of myself, and it was shown publicly worldwide. Respect the rules,” Risby-Jones conveyed a message to his fellow Australians.
The following day, the surfer visited an immigration office, where he expressed his relief to reporters, stating, “I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face yesterday; it just felt so good to be out of prison.”
When asked about the possibility of returning to Indonesia in the future, he replied, “I’d like to. Yeah, I’d like to.”
