I am sure that by now most expatriates on the Island will
have heard of the savage attack that occurred very late at
night in a quiet resort in the Jimbaran Hills. This single
Mum summoned courage and bravery beyond the imagination to
protect herself and her young son against not one but two
armed attackers as they forced their way into her room.Unfortunately,
she suffered horrific injuries during the ordeal, but due
to this women’s amazing strength, and the quick actions
of her 6 year old son, friends and medical personnel, she
survived to tell the story.The community at large is still
reeling in horror at the thought of these men that could happily
butcher a mother with it seems only robbery as a motif. Those
of us who live alone or with children will be
carefully calculating our security, and mentally preparing
ourselves for worst case scenarios if and when “it could
be me”.
Prevention as they say is better than cure. Ways to prevent
intruders coming into your house are:
-Get motion sensor lights around the house or entrances.This
is pretty new technology in Indonesia so “would be”
thieves are not so wise to them. Motion alarms are also good;
however with the local nightlife (gekkos, mice, etc) you might
find yourself getting up for false alarms several times each
night. Motion sensor lights are available at ACE hardware.
-Get a dog. Doesn’t have to be a Rottweiler, a local
pooch is just as good. (My geriatric Kintamani saved me a
nasty experience by sinking her teeth into the butt of a “would
be” intruder as he tried to get in through my bedroom
door!). As long as they make a noise when strangers approach
that’s all that matters. My neighbor used to have a
tiger. Trouble with big cats is they don’t really mind
who they eat as long as they’re fed. By the way you
used to be able to get them at the Sanur pet shop. Going price
30 million!
-Make sure you have double locks on the doors (key and chain).
It is wise to have locks on the internal doors as well as
the entrance so you can lock yourself in a room should intruders
get into the house.
-Bars on your windows may not look pretty but they do keep
unwanted visitors out.
-Put loose stones around the house. It’s really hard
to walk without being heard on gravel.
-Get a security guard (SATPAM). Well, this one is questionable.
Unfortunately there is no SATPAM training school, and none
of them take sworn oaths. Most are recommended by a friend
of a friend, get them selves a blue jacket, put on the badge,
and they’re away. My neighbors SATPAMs once donned masks
and knives, tied her to a chair while they robbed her of $5,000
worth of jewelry. They then went into the next room put their
SATPAM jackets back on and proceeded to “rescue”
her and call the police! Their mistake? One of them forgot
take off the ring that he always wore, and she recognized
it on his finger! However if you have a good guard that can
stay awake, I’m sure you’ll feel more secure.
-Always carry your mobile phone close to you, charged and
with enough pulsa (credits). Program in the emergency
numbers for your local police, ambulance, friends and neighbors.
In the event of attack, your phone should be in easy reach
so that you can dial the police.
-Another crucial item is a flashlight. I keep a very
big, very bright rechargable light next to my bed. When you
shine the beam into someones eyes it temporarily blinds them.
You also have the advantage that you can see them, but they
cannot see you. Not only is my flashlight bright, it’s
heavy enough to be a formidable weapon if needs be.
-Although it is a crucial skill, most people do not have any
self-defense training. If you are among them, be aware
that you are risking your safety every day. Commit
to attending a basic self defense class. You don’t have
to get to “black belt”. Just some basic survival
skills will do.
REMEMBER, THAT WHATEVER YOU DO, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS
YOUR SURVIVAL. Your most important weapon is your brain.
-Have a plan. Rehearse in your mind several different scenarios
on how you will react to an attack, and, what you will
do to try and stop it.
-Stay as calm as possible, think rationally and evaluate your
resources and options.
-It may be more advisable to submit or pretend that you are
still asleep (this does not mean you consent to the attacker)
than resist and risk severe injury or death. Everyone
has different strengths and abilities. You will have
to make this decision based on the circumstances and your
own personal decisions leading up to and during an attack.
-Keep assessing the situation as it is happening. If
one strategy doesn’t work, try another.
-Possible options in addition to non-resistance are:
- negotiating (if you speak the same language) - stalling
for time - distracting the assailant and fleeing to a safe
place -verbal assertiveness - screaming to attract
attention and physical resistance.
In Indonesia you need to shout “MALING, MALING!”
(Pronounced “Mah-Ling” means Thief, thief!), or
“TOLONG, TOLONG!” (Pronounced Toh-long means Help,
Help!). Please understand that by doing this, you may condemn
the thief to death by beating if the local villagers come
running to assist you, HOWEVER please also understand that
you may be condemning yourself, or the ones that you love,
or the next person that is robbed, to death if you DON’T
scream for assistance. The choice is yours.
- If you think fighting back/struggling/resisting may discourage
the attack, remember you must stop the attack long enough
in order to create the time you need to escape. This
chance to break away and run from your attacker
may only be seconds.
-Options to consider if you fight back:
- scratching with your fingernails
- biting
- poking in the eyes
- kicking in the knee or groin
- hitting on the nose
- jabbing the eyes or throat
-If you are determined to carry some type of weapon, a chemical
spray (such as pepper spray) is your best choice. (If you
can’t get pepper spray a pot of chilli powder or cayenne
pepper will do. Make sure that the lid is loose enough to
open in a hurry). It’s non-lethal if used against you.
Remember, you already have weapons with you; your keys, pens,
pencils, fingers, elbows, head, fingernails, etc.
-Weapons such as guns, knives, and chemical sprays can easily
be turned against you unless you are trained to, and are not
afraid to use them. Be aware that if there are other
people in the house, you don’t want to accidentally
shoot them just because they woke up get a midnight snack!
You must be prepared to possibly injure or kill the attacker
in order to stop the attack and/ orescape. Make sure your
gun is in a safe place and cannot be accessed by others.
(Remember the story of the man in the States who slept with
his mobile phone and his gun on the bedside table? His phone
rang and then BANG!).
“Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife
that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty
years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral
service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any
health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail
at info@chcbali.com”.
