Jailed Tourist Apologizes for Topless Photo on Malaysian Mountain
Eleanor Hawkins returned to England following three days in a Malaysian jail.
— -- A British woman has offered a public apology for posing topless on a sacred Malaysian mountain peak.
Eleanor Hawkins, 23, was one of 10 travelers who stripped down earlier this month for a photo on top of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. The peak is considered a sacred resting place for the region's ancestors.
Hawkins' statement was made after being charged with public indecency and jailed for three days in the southeast Asian country.
"I just want to say how relieved and happy I am to be home," said Hawkins of Draycott, England, in a statement to Sky News.
"I know my behavior was foolish and I know how much offense we caused to the local people of Sabah. For that I am truly sorry."
Three others -- Canadian siblings and a Dutch man -- were jailed following the incident, which preceded an earthquake that claimed the lives of 18 climbers. Many locals blamed the travelers' act for causing the earthquake.