Jakarta, Indonesianpost.com – The recent sexual abuse scandal involving the Miss Universe Indonesia contest has taken a more distressing turn, with an attorney revealing on Wednesday that the number of victims has expanded to at least 30 contestants.
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The scandal erupted earlier this week when a contestant filed a complaint with the Jakarta Police, alleging that she was coerced into participating in a nude “body checking” and photo session. Shockingly, this session included the presence of male spectators, and it was conducted without her consent or prior notification.
The police complaint was directed against the event organizer, Capella Swastika Karya.
Mellisa Anggraeni, the attorney representing the accuser, said that an increasing number of contestants have now come forward with similar allegations against the organizer.
“Currently, there are 30 victims, but only seven of them have engaged legal representation. This number is anticipated to rise,” Mellisa told reporters at the Jakarta Police headquarters.
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In addition to filing a complaint with the police, the victims plan to visit the office of the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister, Bintang Puspayoga, to formally report the case.
Mellisa said that none of the contestants were informed beforehand about the explicit photo session, which goes against both Indonesian law and cultural norms. This inappropriate session took place on August 1, just two days before the grand final, despite the absence of an official schedule for such an event.
Adding to the outrage, the contestants were photographed in a ballroom with other individuals present. Melissa earlier highlighted that the ballroom may have had security cameras, thus stripping away any semblance of privacy during the session.
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The legal team has provided the police with photos and videos as evidence, with Mellisa saying she “was shocked upon seeing the photos” for the first time.