Aussie’s alleged Indonesian rampage leads to possible slaughter of goat

A young Aussie’s alleged wild rampage has lead to a possible “slaughter” to restore peace to the deeply conservative Muslim community.

The resort where a young Australian man was staying must slaughter a goat to restore peace after his alleged naked, alcohol-fuelled rampage, according to the chief of the deeply religious village in Indonesia.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, from Queensland, said he felt “almost possessed” following the alleged incident that saw him arrested.

He told reporters he was on a surfing holiday and had “just one shot” of vodka prior to the incident just after midnight on Wednesday.

The young man, who is a carpenter from Noosa, also claimed he had sunstroke from the day before.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones was arrested in Indonesia. Picture: Supplied

“I feel like not myself, like almost possessed,” he said in an interview with ABC about the ordeal in Indonesia’s Aceh province.

“It was not a good feeling. I wasn’t myself. Normally I am a very nice guy.”

He also said he would “never want to hurt people” and that the alleged rampage was “very out of character”.

When asked if he remembered what happened, Mr Risby-Jones said “not really” and that he had been hit and kicked in the head.

Mr Risby-Jones was nabbed and bashed by local villagers after he allegedly tried to snatch a motorbike while naked.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones speaks about his arrest in an interview with ABC.

The young tradie is now facing the terrifying prospect of spending time in an Indonesian jail and could be sentenced up to five years in prison if he is convicted of maltreatment resulting in serious physical injury.

He could also face charges under Islamic law, as the consumption and sale of alcohol is banned in Aceh.

Public canings are a regular punishment for this offence, meaning he could be facing 40 lashes.

While he awaits his fate, Lantik village chief Suhardi Fleno said the resort also had to make amends, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

In accordance with traditional practices in Aceh, they have to do so by slaughtering a goat, he said.

“Besides restorative justice I’d like to explain that we have a tradition here which we will do,” he said, according to the publication.

“It is called peusijuek, meaning we must have peace with the party that we have a problem with to prevent the same problem from recurring.

“It’s between the village and the resort. We don’t care if Bodhi gives the money to the resort [for the goat]. But we do care about the resort and our village. Bodhi is just a guest at the resort and the guests can come and go.

“We must slaughter a goat. It should be provided by the resort.”

The alleged rampage made locals so angry they allegedly threatened to burn down a hotel in response.

He was detained following the alleged incident on Thursday morning, which, according to The Courier Mail, left a bystander in hospital.

Sources said that around 12.05am on Thursday, two residents of Lantik Village were going into a shop to buy cigarettes when “suddenly a man came out from the ditch (and started) chasing them”.

The men were allegedly chased to a coffee shop where a confrontation occurred and the Indonesian villager was injured.

The rampage made locals so angry they threatened to burn down a hotel. Picture 9 News Brisbane

“His (Mr Risby-Jones’) act has triggered anger from people who were enjoying their coffee,” a source said.

“They later chased him and yelled that he was a crazy man as the Australian did not wear clothes.

“Villagers spontaneously hit the perpetrator and took him to the police station.”

Simeulue police chief Senior Commissioner Jatmiko told the Sydney Morning Herald that Mr Risby-Jones, who runs custom Land Rover builder British Mafia, had been drinking from a bottle of vodka before emerging without clothes from his room at the Moon Beach Resort after midnight.

Police said a half-empty bottle was found and said Mr Risby-Jones told them he had not been drinking.

“He got out of his room naked. The security man attempted to stop him but got hit at the neck and fell down,” Jatmiko alleged.

“He then went on to the street and disturbed passers-by.”

Mr Risby-Jones is alleged to have then also struck a passing motorcycle rider and thrown the motorcycle onto him after he fell into the gutter.

Enraged at the tourist’s alleged behaviour, and the injuries caused, onlookers tried to set the resort itself ablaze, the police chief said.

Mr Risby-Jones was detained in the early hours of Thursday morning in the country's ultraconservative province of Aceh. Picture: Facebook

“The lower part of [the rider’s] leg was ripped and he got 50 stitches at hospital,” he said, adding that the victim had to be transferred to the provincial capital Banda Aceh because of limited health facilities in Simeulue.

“Knowing it, the people got angry and almost put the resort on fire. Luckily, local police and the village head managed to calm down the mob.”

Mr Risby-Jones’ father told The Courier Mail that his son was “deeply ashamed of the trauma and ongoing distress he has inflicted upon his family”.

“Bodhi is now fully aware of his behaviour on Thursday night and is disturbed by his actions and takes full responsibility for them,” he said.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, a 23-year-old from Noosa, was detained in the early hours of Thursday morning in the country's ultra-conservative province of Aceh. Picture: Facebook

He also claimed his son acknowledged the waste of resources his actions caused for local police and apologised to the Australian people for “embarrassing them”.

Aceh is a deeply conservative province in Indonesia where the sale and consumption of alcohol is banned and where Islamic law or sharia is enforced and public canings still take place for so-called morality offences such as premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality. People can be lashed for drinking alcohol.

Mr Risby-Jones, who was on a surfing holiday from Noosa in Queensland, is now facing charges under Article 351 of the Indonesian penal code.

Three non-Muslim Indonesian men were given 40 strokes of the cane in Banda Aceh in 2021 for drinking alcohol in public, and news outlet Tempo reported another person was sentenced to the same punishment in August.

Non-Muslims can choose whether to be penalised under Islamic law, which is faster, or the penal code. Approached at their Noosa home by The Courier-Mail, Mr Risby-Jones’ parents declined to comment.

– with Isabel McMillan and Chantelle Francis