Their dreams of representing Indonesia in the 2023 Miss Universe pageant turned to nightmares when they were forced to undergo 鈥渂ody checks鈥� in front of local organizers. Now seven contestants have filed complaints with the police, accusing the organizers of sexual harassment, their lawyer said Tuesday.
During the July 29-Aug. 3 Miss Universe Indonesia contest in the capital of Jakarta 鈥� and ahead of the show鈥檚 Grand Final event 鈥� the contestants were told to strip to their underwear for 鈥渂ody checks鈥� for scars or cellulite, said lawyer Melissa Anggraini.
The checks took place in a ballroom at the downtown Sari Pacific Hotel, where the contest was held, with about two dozen people present, including men. Five of the contestants said they were then photographed topless, Anggraini said.
鈥淲e have obtained some evidences, even videos showing that the organizer had carried out 鈥榖ody checks鈥�,鈥� she added.
One of her clients, 23-year-old model Priskila Ribka Jelita who represented West Java province in the pageant, recounted her 鈥渂ody check鈥� ordeal in an interview with The Associated Press.
鈥淲hen they asked me to open my bra 鈥� I was shocked! But I couldn鈥檛 speak or refuse,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I tried to cover my breast with my hand, I was even scolded and yelled at.鈥�
鈥淚 was totally confused, nervous and humiliated, especially when I was told to lift my left leg on the chair and let them examine my leg,鈥� Jelita said. The 鈥渆xamination鈥� continued up her leg to 鈥渕y private intimate part,鈥� she added.
After news of the 鈥渂ody checks鈥� leaked out, the Miss Universe Organization cut its ties with its Indonesian franchisee. The New York-based organization said in a statement late Saturday that it had decided to sever ties with PT Capella Swastika Karya, the franchisee, and its National Director Poppy Capella.
鈥淚n light of what we have learned took place at Miss Universe Indonesia, it has become clear that this franchise has not lived up to our brand standards and ethics,鈥� the Miss Universe Organization said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The organization also said it would be cancelling this year鈥檚 Miss Universe Malaysia as the Indonesian franchisee also holds the license for the neighboring country鈥檚 pageant.
It said it would make arrangements for the Indonesia 2023 title holder, Fabienne Nicole Groeneveld, who won in Jakarta, to compete in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant, to be held in El Salvador later this year.
Groeneveld was not among the contestants who filed a complaint.
Jelita鈥檚 mother, Maria Napitupulu, said she found out what happened to her daughter only after reading her daughter鈥檚 post on Instagram, where she recounted the ordeal.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very sad and this really hurts me,鈥� Napitupulu said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
In March, Indonesian beauty company PT Capella Swastika Karya took over the license for Miss Universe Indonesia from Yayasan Putri Indonesia, or YPI, an Indonesian foundation that had held the license for 30 years.
Capella, a former singer and the franchisee鈥檚 manager, could not be reached for comment.
In a post on the franchisee鈥檚 Instagram account, Capella on Saturday denied she had any knowledge of or was in any way involved in any 鈥渂ody checking鈥� of the contestants. She also said that she was against every form of 鈥渧iolence and sexual harassment.鈥�
In its statement, the Miss Universe Organization said no measurements of height, weight, or body dimensions are required to join the pageant, and thanked the Indonesian contestants who have shown 鈥渂ravery in speaking out.鈥�
Since the 鈥渂ody checks鈥� news broke, controversy over the pageant has been mounting in Indonesia, the world鈥檚 most populous Muslim-majority nation. The country has a reputation as a tolerant, pluralist society that respects freedom of expression.
Most Muslims in Indonesia, a secular country of 277 million people, are moderate, but a small hard-line fringe has become more vocal in recent years.
In 2013, several conservative Muslim groups staged a massive protest against the Miss World competition in Indonesia, prompting the organizers to move the contest from Jakarta to the resort island of Bali. All of the more than 130 contestants were required to wear Bali鈥檚 traditional long sarongs instead of the bikinis that have historically been a symbol of the competition.
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