After the arrest of his daughter, 23-year-old Eleanor Hawkins, Timothy Hawkins of Derbyshire, England, reported that she admittedly said her actions were stupid and disrespectful. As quoted by BBC, Mr. Hawkins is expecting her to admit guilt for the misdemeanor and pay the possible consequences of her actions. He says she is very sorry for her offending the Malaysian people.
Ms. Hawkins was arrested on Tuesday while three other tourists turned themselves in to the police. Two are Canadian siblings and the other is Dutch. They are being held after posing naked for a photo on Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia last May 30. They were reportedly instructed by their guide to refrain from doing this stunt but he was told not to interfere, as stated by Daily Mail. Six other tourists are still at large.
This mountain is regarded as sacred by the local people and they believe that the spirits of the departed go to this place for eternal rest. Eight days after the said incident, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred on the trekking site which killed 18 hikers of different nationalities.
As reported by Daily Mail, a park ranger reported the tourists to police after news of their activity as well as their nude pictures reached social media. They are being blamed by the locals for causing the spirits of the mountains to be angry enough to start the said earthquake.
"I think they're a bunch of arrogant tourists who didn't listen to the mountain guide. They are too proud of themselves and selfish. I think they should pay the price for what they did. No matter whether that is to face some jail term or pay a fine. They need to learn a lesson," says 32-year-old Malaysian park ranger Daikin Anam.
Ms. Hawkin's father thinks that his daughter can carry herself well despite this trial. In the interview with BBC, he recalls that she is someone who is intelligent and can face this situation with strength. However, he also worries that she would really find everything new since she has never been in any trouble with the police before. She was an A-lister in Ockbrock School and also active in altruistic activties. She is currently studying for a degree in Masters in Aeronotics and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Southampton.
The four tourists were detained on Tuesday and might be charged for public nuisance while the six others are still being hunted.