Tore Gerard Vincenzo Bempasciuto, 23, was accused of banging his head on a taxi driver named Saiful Nurokhim, though the suspect had denied any wrongdoings during interrogation.
"Before the incident, the suspect told us he was being followed by a couple of unidentified men, and he thought our victim resembled one of his stalkers," Kuta Police's head of criminal investigation unit, Police Insp. First Class I Putu Ika Prabawa, stated.
When Bempasciuto walked outside the bar, he and his woman friend approached the victim, Nurokhim, who was seen with other taxi drivers across the street.
"The suspect bashed his head on the taxi driver and snatched his phone and left the scene," Prabawa remarked.
Nurokhim attempted to retrieve his phone, but CCTV records showed Bempasciuto and his woman friend attacking the victim until he fell to the ground. Friends of the taxi drivers reportedly got involved in the incident, but they failed to stop the assault.
After being beaten, Nurokhim reported to the police, who finally arrested Bempasciuto at a convenience store where he and his woman friend were hiding after the attack.
Bempasciuto's case has added to the list of Australian tourists, who attacked locals in Bali in the past months. In August last year, an Australian national, with the initials NC, was arrested by the Kuta Precint Police after he kicked off a local from his scooter while heckling some pedestrians nearby.
After several incidents involving Australian tourists, the Bali Police had last year requested its counterparts in Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to prompt their fellow countrymen planning to visit the resort island to abide by Indonesia's laws and respect local wisdom and values.
Related news: Aussie national arrested in Bali after attacking locals
Translator: Ayu Khania P/Genta Tenri Mawan
Editor: Suharto
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