This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/10/british-woman-among-those-held-over-naked-stunt-on-mount-kinabalu

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
British woman among those held over 'naked' stunt on Mount Kinabalu British woman among those arrested over 'naked' stunt on Mount Kinabalu
(about 2 hours later)
Police in Malaysia have arrested a British woman and three other western tourists after they posed naked on top of the country’s highest mountain in a stunt that some indigenous people believe may have caused a deadly earthquake days later. The lawyer of a British woman arrested in Malaysia after posing naked for photographs on Mount Kinabalu has requested she and three other western tourists are held separately amid fears for their safety.
The four – a Dutch tourist, two Canadian siblings and the Briton – later appeared in court handcuffed and in purple prison uniforms. Eleanor Hawkins was one of 10 trekkers who stripped off on the mountain on 30 May in a stunt that some indigenous people believe may have caused a deadly earthquake days later.
They were part a group of 10 trekkers who were photographed after stripping off on 30 May on Mount Kinabalu in Sabah state, in the northern half of the island of Borneo. Hawkins, 23, was arrested at Tawau airport on Tuesday before she was due to depart for Kuala Lumpur. She appeared in court on Wednesday together with a Dutch tourist, Dylan Snel, and two Canadian siblings, Lindsey and Danielle Petersen, court sources have confirmed.
Six days later a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near the mountain, killing 18 climbers. The four were remanded for four days pending further investigations into alleged indecency. Their lawyer, Ronny Cham, told the Guardian he requested they be held separately for their own safety, because of the level of public anger in Malaysia generated by the alleged stunt.
State officials accused the tourists of showing “disrespect to the sacred mountain”, which at 4,101m is south-east Asia’s highest peak. Officials in Sabah state, in the northern half of the island of Borneo, accused the tourists of showing “disrespect to the sacred mountain”, which at 4,095 metres is south-east Asia’s highest peak.
Sabah’s indigenous Kadazan Dusun people believe the tourists’ behaviour angered the spirit of the mountain and was the reason for the earthquake. Sabah’s indigenous Kadazan Dusun people believe the tourists’ behaviour angered the spirit of the mountain and was the reason for a 5.9-magnitude earthquake, which six days later struck near the mountain, killing 18 climbers.
A magistrates court in the Sabah state capital of Kota Kinabalu remanded the four for four days pending an investigation over an “obscene act” on the mountain last month. Hawkins was third to enter the court, as the group was ushered in handcuffed together and dressed in purple prison uniforms.
The four were remanded until 14 June. Cham said they are likely to be charged with “causing annoyance by conducting obscene acts in a public place”.
He said if found guilty they could face three months in prison, or a fine, or both. He said if charged, the defence is likely to argue that the top of the mountain should not be defined as a public place where annoyance could be caused to the public.
Cham accused local state officials of of stoking a public backlash against the tourists. He said: “I ask the court they be held in separate custody from other detainees. Because of the sentiment in this case, we want to protect their safety. People are laying blame on them for offending the mountain. There is a lot of stupidity involved and unfortunately politicians have jumped on the bandwagon to condemn them for causing the earthquake, which is ridiculous.”
Hawkins’ father, Tim Hawkins, who runs his own business in Derby, said: “I would like to appeal to the Malaysian authorities. I have got every faith in their judicial system. I just hope they don’t make an example of them after the tragic earthquake.”
Tim Hawkins told the Guardian that he spoke to his daughter on Wednesday morning: “She is obviously upset. She’s pretty scared. But it was good to speak to her.”
The Foreign Office in London confirmed that a British national had been arrested and consular assistance was being provided.The Foreign Office in London confirmed that a British national had been arrested and consular assistance was being provided.
Police in Malaysia said a British woman was arrested at Tawau airport on Tuesday as she was about to depart for Kuala Lumpur.
They then brought her to Kota Kinabalu, according to Sabah’s police chief, Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman, who said the three others turned themselves in at a district police station.
“All the suspects will be remanded from today,” he added.
Malaysia’s foreign affairs ministry identified the Canadian siblings as Lindsey Petersen and Danielle Petersen.
Sabah’s deputy chief minister, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, said a special ritual will be conducted to “appease the mountain spirit”.Sabah’s deputy chief minister, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, said a special ritual will be conducted to “appease the mountain spirit”.
malaysiakini: Four foreigners held for stripping atop Mt Kinabalu http://t.co/zjEjc9YxA9 #SabahQuake pic.twitter.com/thr14eX6Hrmalaysiakini: Four foreigners held for stripping atop Mt Kinabalu http://t.co/zjEjc9YxA9 #SabahQuake pic.twitter.com/thr14eX6Hr
Sabah’s state tourism minister, Masidi Manjun, tweeted that legal proceedings against the four foreigners had begun and that they would be remanded for four days.Sabah’s state tourism minister, Masidi Manjun, tweeted that legal proceedings against the four foreigners had begun and that they would be remanded for four days.
Legal proceedings have commenced in court against 4 alleged 'strippers on Mt Kinabalu' this morning. Remand application for 4 days granted.Legal proceedings have commenced in court against 4 alleged 'strippers on Mt Kinabalu' this morning. Remand application for 4 days granted.
Masidi said the suggestion that the tourists’ actions had caused the earthquake was “misconstrued”.Masidi said the suggestion that the tourists’ actions had caused the earthquake was “misconstrued”.
“I never said that they actually caused the earthquake but their actions were against the people of the largest tribe in Sabah. The mountain is a revered and sacred site,” he said. “I never said that they actually caused the earthquake, but their actions were against the people of the largest tribe in Sabah. The mountain is a revered and sacred site,” he said.