Seven finalists from Miss Universe Indonesia filed a complaint against the organizers of the contest for sexual harassmentannounced the women’s lawyer yesterday.
The organizers of the pageant, which was held in Jakarta from July 29 to August 3, asked the 30 finalists to strip down for a physical examination before the coronation ceremony.
Representatives of the society that organizes the Miss Universe Indonesia pageant, PT Capella Swastika Karya, insisted that they had to examine the presence of any “scars, cellulite or tattoos on their bodies,” said the contestants’ lawyer, Mellisa Anggraini.
“The finalists did not know that they would be subjected to such a procedure”added the legal representative.
In the room where the women were searched there were more than 20 people, including several men.
According to local media, the visual director of Miss Universe Indonesia confirmed that five finalists had nude photos taken..
One of them accused, according to the Kompas TV channel, that they asked her to perform suggestive poses, such as opening her legs, and that they even touched her.
“We were very surprised to see the photos that were taken, because there were men. We suspect that his actions have degraded the dignity of women, because, at the time of the physical examination, there was a group of the opposite sex, and that is very painful.”Anggraini said.
He added that the number of plaintiffs could increase now that seven of the finalists decided to denounce what happened.
According to the lawyer, the 30 finalists of the beauty contest were subjected to unexpected body inspection.
“Three of my girls were very sad when they told me that they were forced to open their bras because there were two or three men there,” Ananda Musa, director of Miss Universe Indonesia in West Java province, confirmed to CNN Indonesia.
Musa is among several organization officers who have resigned their posts in protest.
A Jakarta police spokesman, Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, confirmed the allegation to the press.
The accusations will be investigated and may serve “as a basis for broader investigations,” Andiko said.
Poppy Capella, the national director of Miss Universe Indonesia, did not confirm or deny the allegations..
In an Instagram post, he expressed his gratitude to those who shared “their views.”
“Your comments are not mere words: they are a powerful force,” Capella wrote.
Through a statement, he also assured that the organization is conducting an investigation into the accusations, after which it will be able to establish a position. The contest was held to choose the representative of Indonesia to the Miss Universe pageant this year, which will take place in El Salvador. on November 18.
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