Woman's warning after 'being filmed while changing' at Bali hotspot
Ninda said she was changing her clothes when she noticed someone was filming her.
An investigation is underway after a woman claimed she was filmed while changing her clothes after performing a sacred cleansing ritual at a popular tourist destination in Bali.
Ninda said the disturbing ordeal allegedly unfolded on September 2 at Pura Tirta Empul following a melukat ceremony — the purification of the body, both spiritually and physically, by bathing in holy water.
In a TikTok filmed later that day, she claimed she had been putting on clothes in the women’s change room at the busy temple when she noticed someone pointing a mobile phone at her. Ninda immediately screamed and tried to chase the person recording, local publication DetikBali reports.
“Guys, especially girls, please be vigilant and look around before changing your clothes after melukat,” she said on the video, warning other visitors to be careful.
In a second clip, Ninda appears to be sitting in an Indonesian police station. She revealed the Tampaksiring Police are investigating the alleged incident.
Investigation launched after TikTok goes viral
The temple has now vowed to install more CCTV cameras in the area in an effort to deter such behaviour, the publication reports. Police have confirmed they have interviewed Ninda, as well as a photographer who works at the tourist hotspot.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno called for an investigation after the woman’s TikTok went viral.
“If this incident is indeed proven to be true, appropriate sanctions should be imposed on the individual responsible for recording,” he said during “The Weekly Brief With Sandi Uno”, Coconuts Bali reports. “Recording someone while changing clothes, whether in public spaces, at home, or in the office, is highly inappropriate and unacceptable.”
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Social media users react
So far, Ninda’s video has been viewed more than 500,000 times and has attracted hundreds of comments, many from people who thanked her for “speaking up”.
Other Balinese women shared they were “also scared” of changing at the temple because it is “so open”.
“Hopefully the relevant parties can fix this incident,” one woman said. “Hopefully something like this doesn’t happen again,” a man commented, adding that security should be tightened.
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