Nurfika Osman

Manohara Odelia Pinot talks to journalists during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday. (Photo: Bagus Indahono, EPA)

Manohara to File Complaint Against ‘Abusive’ Husband

After the great escape comes a potential criminal complaint. Teenage model Manohara Odelia Pinot — who has claimed to have been held against her will and repeatedly sexually abused by her Malaysian prince husband — will file a report with the Malaysian police, her sister says.

Dewi Sari Asih said on Monday that her traumatized sister would undergo a medical checkup and a forensic examination to support her case against Tengku Temenggong Muhammad Fahkry, a prince of the Malaysian sultanate of Kelantan.

“Manohara is going to have a forensic exam, but we are still waiting until she is ready for it as this all has had a deep impact on her,” Dewi said, adding that Manohara was sleeping and could not be disturbed.

Separately, Teuku Faizasyah, a spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the government was ready to assist Manohara if she decided to take legal action.

“We are always ready to help her, but so far we have not received any report from the family,” Faizasyah said, adding that the government could only investigate the alleged abuse if there was a direct complaint.

“We are going to provide diplomatic assistance if [Manohara] wants it,” he said.

National Police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said that there had been no formal complaint filed in the case.

“We have not received any formal report on this case, and it happened in Malaysia, so we cannot do anything,” Abubakar said. “All we can do is communicate this case to the Malaysian police as the [alleged] crime scene is in Malaysia.”

The 17-year old model returned to Indonesia on Sunday morning after the Singaporean police and the Indonesian and US embassies in Singapore helped her escape.

Manohara was in Singapore after Fakhry’s father suffered a heart attack and required treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. While staying at the Royal Plaza Hotel, Manohara secretly called the police on Saturday night for help.

After Manohara was secured by the police, Indonesian and US embassy staff in Singapore processed all her documents at the hotel within four hours so that she could immediately return to Indonesia.

Daisy Fajarina, Manohara’s mother, has said that the teen was kidnapped by the prince’s family when both families were in Saudi Arabia for a minor Islamic pilgrimage, known as the umroh, in February. As the families were preparing to return to Malaysia, the prince, his family and Manohara boarded the jet and it took off, leaving Manohara’s mother and sister behind.

After that incident, Manohara’s family was unable to meet with her or even enter Malaysia.

The Malaysian Embassy here could not be immediately reached for comment. Todung Mulya Lubis, who used to represent Fahkry in the case, said that he resigned on May 8 because of differences with the prince, whom he said had ignored his advice to try to settle the case amicably out of court. “I saw that Fakhry gave no indication of willingness to come to the table and talk about this matter with Manohara’s family,” Todung said.

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