Miss Universe Cuts Ties With Indonesian Organizer as Sexual Harassment Allegations Swirl

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The Miss Universe Group has minimize its ties with its Indonesian franchisee and can cancel an upcoming pageant in Malaysia after contestants complained to police, accusing native organizers of sexual harassment.

The New York-based group stated in a press release late Saturday it had determined to sever ties with PT Capella Swastika Karya, and its Nationwide Director, Poppy Capella.

Six contestants of a Miss Universe Indonesia pageant just lately filed complaints with police, accusing native organizers of asking them to strip to their underwear for “physique checks” for scars or cellulite, in a room with about two dozen folks current, together with males. 5 of the contestants stated they had been then photographed topless.

“In gentle of what we’ve realized came about at Miss Universe Indonesia, it has change into clear that this franchise has not lived as much as our model requirements and ethics,” the Miss Universe Group stated on the social media website X, previously referred to as Twitter.

The group additionally stated it might be cancelling this 12 months’s Miss Universe Malaysia because the Indonesian franchisee additionally holds the license for the pageant. It stated it might make preparations for the Indonesia 2023 title holder to compete in Miss Universe pageant to be held in El Salvador late this 12 months.

The Miss Universe Indonesia pageant was held from July 29 to Aug. 3 to decide on Indonesia’s consultant to the 2023 Miss Universe contest, and was received by Fabienne Nicole Groeneveld.

PT Capella Swastika Karya is an Indonesian magnificence firm which took over the license for Miss Universe Indonesia in March from Yayasan Putri Indonesia or YPI, an Indonesian basis that held the license for 30 years.

The corporate founder, Poppy Capella, denied her involvement within the bodily examination through the contest and stated that she is towards any type of “violence and sexual harassment.”

“I, because the Nationwide Director and because the proprietor of the Miss Universe Indonesia license, was not concerned in any respect and have by no means identified, ordered, requested or allowed anybody who performed a task and took part within the Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 course of to commit violence or sexual harassment by means of physique checking,” she posted on social media late Saturday.

Hengki Haryadi, the Jakarta police director for normal crimes, stated Sunday that in a Miss Universe Indonesia pageant held within the capital, Jakarta, from July 29 to Aug. 3, the victims had been compelled to take away their garments and had been photographed bare for bodily examination in a resort ballroom.

“These victims really feel compelled to take off their garments and pose inappropriately for physique checking that traumatized them,” Haryadi stated.

He added that police are nonetheless inspecting surveillance cameras from the scene. Investigators will interview the victims and supply psychological help, he stated.

In its assertion Saturday, the Miss Universe Group stated there aren’t any measurements equivalent to peak, weight, or physique dimensions required to hitch a Miss Universe pageant worldwide, and thanked the Indonesian contestants “who’ve bravery in talking out.”

“To the ladies who got here ahead from the Indonesian pageant, we’re sorry that this was your expertise with our group,” it stated, including that also they are evaluating their present franchise settlement and insurance policies to forestall this sort of conduct from occurring sooner or later worldwide.

Controversy over the pageant has been mounting in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, which has a repute as a tolerant, pluralist society that respects freedom of expression. Most Muslims in Indonesia, a secular nation of 277 million folks, are reasonable, however a small hard-line fringe has change into extra vocal in recent times.

In 2013, a number of conservative Muslim teams staged a massive protest towards Miss World competitors in Indonesia, prompted the competition moved from Jakarta to the resort island of Bali, and all the greater than 130 contestants required to put on Bali’s conventional lengthy sarongs as a substitute of the horny bikinis which are historic a part of the competitors.

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