S’pore couple robbed, injured & harassed in Bali, but still posed for candid photos for Straits Times

A couple from Singapore who were robbed, injured and harassed in Bali recounted their story for The Straits Times — and also supplied a pair of blunt photos.

The cover photo as it appeared on Facebook:

And a second photo embedded in the story:

Photo by the injured bunch for The Straits Times.

The article was shared on the ST Facebook page, which elicited remarks pointing out the incongruity of the story and visuals.

Details of robbery

Here’s the traumatising component of their ordeal.

According to the couple, they were on a regular trip to Bali, had rented a scooter and were returning to their villa after 2am on May 6.

The husband, Eugene Aathar, 24, was the rider and his wife Dolly Ho, 22 was riding pillion and navigating using Google Maps on her smartphone.

Two men on a scooter rode up beside them, snatched the Samsung S10, kicked the couple’s scooter, and caused the couple to fall off.

The robbers rode off and Ho blacked out.

A guy who allegedly went to the couple’s aid then picked up the scooter and rode off with the 12 million rupiah (S$1,140) they had kept on it.

The couple rented the Honda Scoopy for 125,000 rupiah (S$12) from La Vie Villa, where they were staying.

There was A police report made.

The couple were driven to the Siloam Hospital Denpasar.

Injuries

Aathar suffered minor injuries, while Ho had a concussion and a fractured shoulder.

She suffers from memory loss.

Aathar maintained the villa’s workers subsequently barged to the hospital where Ho was warded for observation, and threatened to stop the couple from leaving the country if they didn’t pay up.

They were requesting 250 million rupiah (S$23,700).

Aathar paid them 12 million rupiah which is the equivalent price of a small motorbike.

Assistance

Aathar’s brother flew into Bali and the Singapore Embassy provided consular assistance.

The couple had bought travel insurance, which covered the cost of a physician to escort them on the flight back to Singapore on May 10 as Ho had not been cleared to fly .

Ho was taken to the National University Hospital.

Responses

Here’s the responses to the story and the visuals supplied by the couple, which revealed the husband, Aathar, nevertheless satisfactorily smiley: