A woman from Australia has shared her harrowing experience of being left for dead with severe head injuries alongside a road in Bali, raising concerns about increasing violence towards Australian tourists in the region.
Official data indicates that 31 Australians passed away in Bali over the last year. However, less attention has been given to the number of Australians who have been assaulted and injured.
In March, while jogging near her resort in Seminyak, close to Kuta, Maria was attacked.
To date, no police investigation has been launched regarding her case.
“I have no recollection of what occurred. I’m unsure if something came at me from the front, the side, or behind,” she recounted.
“I lost consciousness. Apparently, I was out cold. I have no idea for how long. When I came to, I saw blood all over my front.”
Maria was taken to a medical clinic in Seminyak, intermittently regaining consciousness, where the staff were unable to explain what had happened or how she arrived there.
“I was lying flat, my head hanging off the bed,” she explained.
“I looked around, confused about who these people were. I distinctly remember asking: Who are you? Where am I? What has happened to me?”
She was later moved to Kasih Ibu General Hospital in Denpasar.
Despite having a significant open wound measuring approximately five by two centimeters, Maria was discharged the following day.
The medical staff attributed her injuries to fainting and deemed her fit to fly home.
“I could hardly walk. I was astounded that I was released in such a condition,” she said.
Upon returning to Australia, Maria’s GP was so concerned about her state that he ordered more scans, which uncovered a fractured skull, indicating she should never have been cleared to board a flight.
“He looked at me and stated, ‘Based on your injuries, which we’ve observed, it’s not from jogging or fainting as documented in Bali’,” she relayed.
“He indicated, ‘I believe you were struck from behind by something or someone. You are extremely fortunate to be alive’.”
Maria fears that she may never uncover the truth behind the incident.
“How many others have faced similar situations? I have many questions and am desperate for answers,” she stated.
Maria’s ordeal adds to the growing list of violent crime reports involving Australians in Bali.
Statistics from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) show that, on average, an Australian dies in Bali every 12 days due to illness, accident, suicide, or undetermined causes.
Though DFAT declined to conduct an interview, a spokesperson mentioned that there was “no indication of a recent rise in violent assaults in Bali.”
However, expatriates residing in Bali contend that many assaults go unreported.
Richard Flax, who has spent 25 years in Bali and works with the island’s emergency response group to aid troubled travelers, stated: “While it seems that Westerners, particularly women, are primarily targeted, we’ve discovered that Indonesians are also victims, indicating it is not purely race-related.”
Clare McAlaney, a former police officer from Victoria who has been living in Bali for 18 months, experienced a mugging incident herself.
In January, while riding a motorbike with her husband, she was pulled for 20 meters, lucky to only sustain serious bruising and abrasions.
“We were riding our bike at night — I definitely wouldn’t advise tourists to do that now,” she noted.
“To describe tourists as sitting ducks is accurate. Living in a tourist haven, it’s perhaps not surprising that crime occurs in such areas concentrated with visitors.”
Mr. Flax and Ms. McAlaney have gathered witness statements from victims to submit to the Bali police, asserting that the authorities are taking the situation seriously.
“There is now a strong awareness of the issue, and recently, the Balinese police deployed 50 top officers to this area,” Mr. Flax shared.
“The police, the Balinese community—nobody wants this to continue.”
Bali police spokesman Hariadi affirmed: “In general, security in Bali is relatively good.”
“In incidents involving foreign tourists, these are typically conventional crimes like pickpocketing or sometimes involve aggravated theft, violence, or armed robbery, which can occur during the day,” he elaborated.
