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Australian officials demanded answers from their Indonesian counterparts after the body of a young Queensland man, Byron Haddow, who died in Bali, was repatriated without his heart.
Haddow, 23, was found dead in the plunge pool of his villa earlier this year while on holiday. His body arrived in Australia four weeks later, where a second autopsy revealed the heart was missing.
A spokesperson for Australia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that consular support was being provided to Haddow’s family but declined further comment, citing privacy rules.
“They just rang us to ask if we were aware that his heart had been retained in Bali,” said his mother, Chantal Haddow, speaking to Channel Nine.
“Just when I thought I couldn’t feel any more heartbroken, it was another kick in the guts,” she added, suggesting foul play before her son entered the pool.
Senior Australian officials in Bali and Jakarta have raised the matter with the Indonesian government, while the Consulate-General in Bali has conveyed the family’s concerns to hospital staff.
However, forensic doctor Nola Margaret Gunawan, who conducted the original autopsy, rejected suggestions of misconduct.
“For forensic purposes, his heart was tested and kept when the body was repatriated,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald. “I have given the autopsy result and explanation to the family, and they accepted it.”
Indonesia remains a top tourist destination for Australians, with official data naming it the most popular short-term overseas destination in 2023.
