Bali’s reputation as a carefree tropical escape has been shaken by a string of brutal crimes, including the kidnapping and dismemberment of a Ukrainian man and the fatal stabbing of a Dutch visitor.
The cases – some involving foreign suspects and bearing the hallmarks of organised or premeditated violence – have fuelled growing alarm, prompting residents and visitors to the Indonesian holiday island to ask: Is Bali becoming a stage for international crime?
Observers say the cases do not indicate a trend of rising crimes in Bali. Nonetheless, they suggest an emergence of more vicious cases.
