Teenage Model Flees 'Abusive' Royal Marriage

JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 4, 2009 — -- An American teenage model is vowing to file criminal charges against a Malaysian prince she married and then fled allegedly because of daily sexual abuse and punishments that included being sliced with a razor when she resisted.

"Sexual abuse and sexual harassment were like a daily routine for me," Manohara Adelia Pinot told an Indonesian television station. "And he did that every time I did not want to have sexual intercourse."

Pinot, 17, was an emerging model when she married Malaysian Prince Tenku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, son of the sultan of Kelantan, last year.

She fled in fear during a royal family trip to Singapore May 30. Pinot said she was helped by the Singapore police and the U.S. embassy in Singapore, a fact confirmed by embassy sources.

"They [the Singaporean police] brought me to a room. My mother arrived not long afterward and we embraced each other," Pinot said as quoted by Detik.com.

She has undergone a physical to be treated for any sexual or other physical injuries, her lawyer OC Kaligis told ABC News.

Pinot, who holds U.S. and Indonesian passports, is currently protected by police in Indonesia, according to Kaligis.

Kaligis said he is preparing to file criminal charges against the prince, accusing him of cruel, degrading, and inhumane treatment. He said the accusations include "torture, hijacking and civil and political rights." In addition, he would contest their marriage.

"The prince treated her as property, not as a human being," Kaligis told ABC News.

Pinot's public accusations against the Malaysian royalty has caused a sensation in Malyasia and Indonesia

"I am still traumatized by all that happened and it has left an impact on me," Pinot told a press conference in Indonesia's capital, according to the Jakarta Globe.

The Kelantan royal family has reportedly denied all allegations against Tenku Fakhry. The Malaysian palace said in a statement that the matter is personal and private. "We are viewing the matter as a personal crisis between a husband and his wife which must be settled through the law," the palace said.

Indonesian Prince Accused of Abusing American Wife

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at a press conference Tuesday in South Korea, asked Pinot to follow protocol and formally come forward to Indonesian authorities so the government can protect its citizens.

"Report this problem to the foreign affairs minister," Yudhoyono said, noting he is usually careful about handling household affairs. "But, as it has been a public issue, do not think that I do not care about it."

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah said the case had not yet been officially reported.

"It's a case of private issues," Faizasyah told ABC News, adding the ministry could not act unless Pinot approached them. "In principle, we are there to assist. The ball is in her court."

These types of conflict cases are not uncommon in the region.

"Internationally, it is quite common in the case of divorce," said Faizasyah. "This is a cross cultural marriage and we never really know the details until the case is presented in court."

According to the Indonesian foreign ministry, Pinot's case would still need to be presented in Malaysia because that is where the abuse claims took place.

Kaligis is undeterred. "Criminal is criminal," he said. "Everybody has to follow the law."