‘Drunk, naked’ Australian man arrested over violent rampage in conservative Aceh

An Australian man was arrested on Thursday in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province after going on a drunken naked rampage that left one person hospitalised.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, was detained in the early hours of Thursday morning on the island of Simeulue, according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald. Simeulue is a surfers’ paradise off the coast of Sumatra. The island’s police chief, Senior Commissioner Jamitko, said Risby-Jones had been drinking before emerging from his hotel room without clothes on after midnight.

He then proceeded to chase and hit people on the main village road, according to Aceh media outlet Bithe. Some time before 1am, Risby-Jones struck a passing motorcycle rider. He then threw the motorcycle onto the rider, who had fallen into a gutter.

The Indonesian police said the man suffered serious injuries that required more than 50 stitches on his heel, as well as fractures.

“He got out of his room naked. The security man attempted to stop him but got hit on the neck and fell down,” said Mr Jamitko, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. “He then went onto the street and disturbed passers-by. He hit almost everyone who was on the street.”

Onlookers were enraged by Risby-Jones’ behaviour, and tried to set the resort where he was staying at on fire, the police chief added.

“Luckily, local police and the village head managed to calm down the mob,” he said.

The authorities said they found a half-empty bottle of alcohol in Risby-Jones’ room.

However, he told them he had not been drinking.

Mr Risby-Jones has since said he was not himself during the incident.

“I feel like not myself, like almost possessed,” Risby-Jones said when he appeared under police guard before local media. “It was not myself. I’m normally a nice guy.”

A statement released by his family said Risby-Jones “takes full responsibility” for his actions.

He reportedly faces up to five years in jail if convicted over the alleged incident.

The sale and consumption of alcohol is banned in Aceh, where Islamic law is enforced.

Public canings still occur for so-called morality offences, such as premarital sex and adultery.

People can also be lashed for drinking alcohol.

But Risby-Jones is not being investigated under Islamic law because the report against him was about violence, not alcohol use. The charge he faces is under the Indonesian penal code. Still, the police said they might probe the alcohol aspect of the case. If so, Islamic law might be applied.

At the same time, foreigners are granted some flexibility, if they drink in private.

The Australian told the Indonesian police he had come to the island for four days with a male friend to go surfing.

The trip was part of a three-week vacation to Indonesia, he said.