Bali rocked by spate of murder cases – is Indonesian island more dangerous now?

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.

“Crimes committed in Bali seem to be increasing in quality, but in terms of quantity, there is no increase,” said Gede Made Suardana, a professor of law and criminology at Bali’s Udayana University. “There are still more Indonesians who commit crimes [than foreign nationals].”

To the general public, however, Bali may appear to have become more dangerous because the recent cases were well executed, with some resembling contract killings.

On February 15, 28-year-old Ukrainian Igor Komarov was kidnapped and later found dead in a suspected murder.