An Indonesian hospital has rejected allegations of organ theft, clarifying that an Australian tourist’s heart – missing when his body was flown home – was sent to Queensland after undergoing a forensic procedure.
Byron Haddow, 23, was found dead in the plunge pool of his rented villa in Bali earlier this year. His body was sent back to Australia about a month later, where a second autopsy revealed the heart was not present. The discovery prompted Canberra to press Jakarta for clarification.
Prof Ngoerah Hospital, which conducted the first forensic examination of Haddow at the request of the Balinese police, denied any wrongdoing. “I emphasise, on behalf of Prof Ngoerah Hospital, that the circulating rumours of organ theft are false,” I Made Darmajaya, the hospital’s director of medical nursing and support, told reporters.
According to Mr Darmajaya, the missing organ was not withheld for sinister reasons but because it was undergoing a separate forensic process.
“There is no interest of the hospital to withhold the heart. Actually, our interest was in the context of examination in accordance with the law,” he said, explaining the heart required additional preparation for pathological testing and was therefore returned later than the rest of the body.
The forensic pathologist who conducted the initial autopsy also dismissed allegations of misconduct.
“For forensic purposes, his heart was tested and was kept behind when the family repatriated the body home,” Dr Nola Margaret Gunawan told The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Monday.
“I have given the autopsy result and explanation to the family. They have accepted my explanation.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Tuesday that consular assistance was being provided to the Haddow family but declined to provide further details, citing privacy obligations.
Earlier, Haddow’s mother, Chantal Haddow, told Australia’s Channel Nine: “They just rung us to ask if we were aware that his heart had been retained over in Bali. Just when I thought I couldn’t feel any more heartbroken, it was another kick in the guts. I feel like there was foul play. I think that something’s happened to him prior to being in the pool.”
The family’s lawyer, Ni Luh Arie Ratna Sukasari, confirmed that the organ was eventually delivered to Queensland in August, over two months after Haddow’s death, according to AFP.
She described the case as one that raised “serious questions” about the medical and forensic procedures followed in Bali.
“This incident raises serious questions regarding medical practices in Bali. We affirm that what happened to Byron Haddow is a grave matter of law, ethics and humanity.”
The lawyers for the family argued that the circumstances surrounding Haddow’s death at his holiday villa on 26 May were “highly suspicious”, warranting closer scrutiny of his earlier activities, especially his financial dealings.
The forensic examination revealed the presence of alcohol and duloxetine, a prescription medication for depression, anxiety and certain pain disorders, in Haddow’s system.
Investigators suggested the interaction of these substances could have impaired his ability to react when he entered the plunge pool, leaving him unable to save himself.
The report also documented minor injuries, including abrasions on his left forehead, right eyelid and right knee. However, experts concluded that the blunt-force trauma was insufficient to be considered fatal.
The findings also indicated that Haddow was still alive when he was submerged, showing signs of breathing while in the water.
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