Bali police claim Australian bag snatch assault victim is lying
Bali police reportedly claim an Australian woman who said she was severely injured during a bag snatching ordeal on the holiday island is lying.
Emma Bell, a 25-year-old hairdresser from Byron Bay who recently moved to Indonesia, said earlier this week a passing motorcyclist in the tourist hotspot of Canggu mugged her while she was walking alone.
Friends claimed she had been dragged for several metres along the road and hit her head, suffering a fractured skill, a broken cheek bone and swelling on the brain.
However, Nine News reports local police claim the entire incident was fabricated in order to receive an insurance payout.
General Crime Director Kombes Andi Fairan said Ms Bell was actually involved in a traffic accident.
"The victim did not experience a bag snatch and there was not a single item of the victim missing," he told Indonesian outlet Kampuran, Nine News reported.
"The reason for the victim to make news is so that victim gets an insurance claim in their country."
Police said a friend of Ms Bell named Bryden Ian allegedly confessed that there had not been a bag snatching.
"The victim's friend explained that Emma purely had a traffic accident," Mr Fairan said.
According to a GoFundMe set up in the 25 year old’s name, Ms Bell was rushed to a Balinese hospital where she spent several days in intensive care before being flown to Royal Perth Hospital for emergency surgery on Saturday.
An update on the campaign, which has raised almost $17,000 for her medical bills, said Ms Bell is “doing better” than friends and family had hoped. She is reportedly in stable condition.
The incident comes after an Australian father and daughter were injured after they had an iPhone snatched from them in Bali.
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