An Indonesian resort will have to slaughter a goat to restore peace after an Australian man allegedly went on a drunken rampage and injured a motorcyclist.
Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, from Noosa in Queensland‘s Sunshine Coast, was arrested at the Lantik Moon Beach Resort on Simeulue Island on Thursday.
Police allege the carpenter assaulted a security guard and a motorcyclist and could face being caned 40 times and several years behind bars.
Suhardi Fleno, the chief of Lantik village where the incident happened, said the resort Risby-Jones was staying in has to slaughter a goat in accordance with traditional practices in Aceh.
‘It is called peusijuek, meaning we must have peace with the party that we have a problem with to prevent the same problem from recurring,’ he said.
The Queenslander’s sentence could also be lowered or the case dropped entirely if he is able to reach a financial settlement with the motorcyclist.
An Indonesian resort will have to slaughter a goat to restore peace after an Australian man allegedly went on a drunken rampage and injured a motorcyclist
Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, from Noosa in Queensland ‘s Sunshine Coast, was arrested at the Lantik Moon Beach Resort on Simeulue Island on Thursday
Risby-Jones allegedly knocked the man off his motorbike and left him with a broken leg and deep wound that required 50 stitches.
‘If the victim decides not to process the case, we will drop the case,’ an investigator told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Mr Fleno said he had asked the motorcyclist Edi Ron if he would accept a financial settlement, but the fisherman did not give an answer as he was focused on recovering first.
Mr Ron was moved to a bigger hospital in the provincial capital Banda Aceh and his wife has said he will not be able to walk for three months.
‘The wound is very bad. The motorbike was thrown onto him and his right ankle bone,’ Mr Fleno said.
Over the weekend, Risby-Jones begged for forgiveness over what happened.
His father Ben said on Saturday his son was ‘deeply ashamed of the trauma and ongoing distress he has inflicted upon his family’ and issued an apology.
He said his son wanted to ‘hand on heart apologise’ to all the people he had ‘disrespected and hurt’.
Ben told The Courier-Mail his son is remorseful, apologetic and ‘acknowledges the pain he has caused Mr Ron.
‘He further acknowledges the waste of resources his actions have caused the Simeulue Police,’ the father said.
He said his son is disturbed by his actions and takes full responsibility.
‘He also wants to apologise to the Australian people for embarrassing them and is deeply ashamed of the trauma and ongoing distress he has inflicted upon his family,’ Ben said.
Australian man Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones (pictured) is accused of wreaking havoc during a drunken rampage on an Indonesian surf trip
Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones (pictured) from Noosa in Queensland ‘s Sunshine Coast was arrested at the Lantik Moonbeach resort on Simeulue Island on Thursday
Risby-Jones previously broke his silence on the matter saying he did not feel like himself during the alleged incident.
‘Like, almost possessed, it was not a good feeling,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t myself, normally I’m a very nice guy.’
Police allege that Risby-Jones left his hotel room naked and drunk on vodka before assaulting a security guard and then the motorcyclist.
The Queenslander denied he was drunk, claiming he had only one shot of vodka that was exacerbated by sunstroke he’d suffered while surfing.
‘We were at the pool, and we had a duty-free bottle of vodka. I only had one shot, just one shot,’ he claimed to the ABC.
He also claimed he was not naked but was wearing underwear.
Police allege he fled to the beach when a mob of locals formed to apprehend him before he was assaulted and a citizens’ arrest performed.
‘I’ve got hit a lot of times on the ground, people kicked my head, made me forget,’ Risby-Jones said.
According to Simeulue police chief detective Mayyuhdi, Risby-Jones was on the surfing trip because ‘he was depressed’.
‘According to the people who were present at the scene, Bodhi went out of his room completely naked and yelling and causing a ruckus,’ he said.
‘The people there tried to stop him, but Bodhi hit one of them instead.’
Suhardi Fleno, the chief of Lantik village, said the resort Risby-Jones was staying in has to slaughter a goat to restore peace (stock image)
The island of Simeulue is a surfing hotspot in Aceh, the only Indonesian province ruled under strict Sharia Law.
Risby-Jones is facing two-and-a-half years imprisonment if the motorcyclist’s injuries are considered minor, or five-years imprisonment if they are considered major.
He may also be tried under Sharia Law over the charge of drinking alcohol which is illegal for Muslims and non-Muslims in the province, in which case he faces being caned 40 times.
Police can keep Risby-Jones in custody for 20 days while they investigate.
Queensland government cabinet minister Leeanne Enoch said the Australian consulate was offering assistance to Risby-Jones and his family.
‘At the moment, it’s a case of ensuring that foreign affairs are able to work closely with that gentleman and his family.’