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A woman who claims she was sexually harassed by a man on a TransJakarta bus says the South Jakarta Police advised her not to file a report due to a lack of evidence, warning that the man she had accused might end up suing her for defamation.

“Police told me that there was lack of evidence since there were no witnesses. Nobody saw him groping me,” Foni, 31, told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday.

After listening to the advice of the female police officer who heard her complaint at the police station, she decided not to file a report against the 32-year-old man, she said.

“The officer told me not to make matters worse by trying to bring it to court,” Foni said.

She said the man who she claims groped her on the bus on Saturday had in his possession a laptop which contained “under the skirt peep videos.”

Foni said the man told police he downloaded the videos from the Internet.

South Jakarta Police chief of detectives Comr. Nurdi Satriaji confirmed that no police report on the incident had been filed.

“Yes, the man had been brought to the police station by TransJakarta bus officers.

But no report was filed against him. Maybe [Foni] was busy. Actually, I do not know why no report was filed,” Nurdi said.

“What’s important though is the testimony of the victim. We have to listen to the victim. If there is no victim, there is no case to process.

We did however give him a written statement to sign.

We made him promise in writing that he would never do this kind of act again, anywhere. Otherwise, action will be taken.”

Foni said the incident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“I was heading home from work. I was going towards Central Jakarta. I took the busway from the Blok M terminal,” Foni said, adding that while she was waiting at the crowded bus stop she felt a hand on her.

“I felt something on my behind. Sure enough, it was someone’s hand,” Foni said.

She said she looked behind her and saw a man wearing glasses who was carrying a bag.

Foni said she wanted to say something but the bus came and she promptly boarded. However, the man ended up sitting beside her in the crowded bus.

“He put his bag on top of his thighs, but his left hand was under the bag.

His hand was covered. He then started to caress my thigh with that hand.

It got too much. So, I got up and screamed loudly ‘What are you doing holding me like this?’ ”

This caught the attention of not only the passengers but also the bus’s security guard.

Foni told the security guard the man had been harassing her, although he vehemently denied it, she said.

He claimed that his hand had accidentally brushed her and he meant no harm.

“I got furious when he said that. So, I slapped him. I told him I would box his face. He then confessed.”

The TransJakarta bus security officer escorted both Foni and the man to a Blok M police post.

Police seized the man’s laptop, searched it and found the peep videos, Foni said

“There was one of a schoolgirl,” she said. Police officers immediately recommended Foni file a police report at the South Jakarta Police Headquarters.

“But upon reaching there, and hearing what the woman police officer at the South Jakarta Police had to say, I decided not to,” Foni said.

“My advice to all women on buses in Jakarta? Please be aware of your surroundings. There are some bad people out there.”