Five women allege that they were photographed topless. (File)
The Miss Universe Organisation (MOU) beauty pageant has snapped ties with its Indonesian franchise following a series of sexual abuse allegations by contestants, as per the official statement released on Twitter. The development comes just days after the competition's crowning ceremony in Jakarta, which saw Fabienne Nicole Groeneveld emerging as the winner.
The US-based Miss Universe Organisation has terminated its relationship with its Indonesian franchisee, the beauty company PT Capella Swastika Karya, and its national director, Poppy Capella, the statement added.
"In light of what we have learned took place at Miss Universe Indonesia, it has become clear that this franchise has not lived up to our brand standards, ethics, or expectations," MUO said.
The cutting of ties will also result in the cancellation of this year's Miss Universe Malaysia since PT Capella Swastika Karya holds the license for conducting the beauty pageant, the statement added.
The global organisers of Miss universe, however, said that they would make arrangements for Fabienne to participate in the finale of the competition slated to be held in November in EI Salvador, reported news agency AFP.
What Are the Allegations?
Six contestants, in the Miss Universe Indonesia pageant, have filed police complaints alleging that all 30 finalists were asked to strip for "a body check for scars and cellulite" two days before the crowning in Jakarta, the AFP report added.
Five women allege that they were photographed topless.
The Indonesian beauty pageant had previously drawn criticism for change in the competition guidelines with the elimination of its minimum height requirement after the crowning of the winner.
Following the controversy, MOU has said it was evaluating its policies and procedure to avoid similar occurrences in the future. The organisers cleared that there are no measurement or body dimensions requirements to join their pageant worldwide.
What Did Miss Indonesian Organisers Say?
Responding to the series of allegations, in an Instagram post, Poppy Capella, director of PT Capella Swastika Karya, said that the organisation does not condone any form of sexual harassment. "I, as the national director and as the owner of the Miss Universe Indonesia license, was not involved at all and have never known, ordered, requested or allowed anyone who played a role and participated in the Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 process to commit violence or sexual harassment through body checking,” she wrote, as per AFP.
Jakarta Police has launched an investigation into the case, interviewing the alleged victims.