Australian man jailed in Bali for assault at luxury resort pool

A Sydney man has been sentenced to four months and 15 days in jail for assaulting a German woman after a dispute involving her toddler near a water slide at one of Bali’s most luxurious resorts.

The Apurva Kempinski Hotel in Nusa Dua, where the altercation occurred.

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A Sydney man has been sentenced to four months and 15 days in jail in Bali for assaulting a German woman following a dispute involving her toddler near a water slide at one of the Indonesian island’s most luxurious resorts.

Ali Shahrouk, 38, was sitting by the pool with his family when an altercation occurred. German tourist Christin Steinrode Tiller accused another guest, Samer Beckdache’s older child, of pushing her three-year-old off a slide at the upscale Apurva Kempinski Hotel in Nusa Dua.

The dispute quickly turned physical, with Ms Tiller allegedly pushing Mr Beckdache into the pool, prompting him to pull her in by the hair.

Prosecutors said Mr Shahrouk then approached Ms Tiller, and another confrontation ensued. The exchange became violent, with Mr Shahrouk allegedly slapping and punching her in the face, causing bruising and fractures to her nose and jaw. Ms Tiller reported the incident before leaving Indonesia in late January.

Mr Shahrouk was charged under Article 351, Paragraph 1 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, which covers assault.

Delivering the verdict on Tuesday, judge Gusti Ayu Akhirnyani of the Denpasar District Court found Mr Shahrouk guilty and sentenced him to four months and 15 days, reduced by time already served since his detention began on February 1.

“The court finds no grounds for justification or excuse, and thus the defendant must be declared guilty and sentenced accordingly,” Judge Akhirnyani said. She added that the victim’s refusal to forgive was considered an aggravating factor.

Mr Shahrouk’s lawyer, Sabam Antonius, said they would not appeal the sentence. “Based on our calculations, it seems like just a few days are left,” Mr Antonius told The Australian.

Both prosecution and defence have been granted seven days to appeal the ruling.

“The article applied is a minor offence. (Prosecution) have the right to appeal, but we feel the sentence is already heavy enough,” Mr Antonius said. “Our client never intended to cause trouble. In fact, he and his child nearly became victims themselves.”

He had previously argued that his client was standing up for his children at the time. He previously admitted to slapping Ms Tiller, but denied punching her. His legal team had also sought a reconciliation, but Ms Tiller and her family returned to Germany shortly after filing the complaint.