In May 2025, 23-year-old Australian Byron Haddow was found dead in a villa pool in Seminyak. The official cause of death was deemed a combination of alcohol intoxication and antidepressant use.
However, circumstances soon emerged, raising doubts: the death was reported to the police only four days later, and the body had bruises and head injuries that could indicate other causes of death. Two girls and a friend of Byron who were with him weren't detained and left Bali after questioning.
The oddities continued after the repatriation of the body to Canberra. A second autopsy revealed that Byron's heart was missing. The family filed official complaints and demanded explanations. Bali police and forensic authorities stated that organ removal during the examination is permitted under local law and doesn't require family consent. Prof. Ngoerah Hospital denied organ theft allegations, explaining that the heart was retained for pathological analysis and thus excluded from the repatriation. The organ was later returned to the family but only after five weeks and for an additional fee.
The incident sparked an international scandal: the ministries of Indonesia and Australia exchanged requests, and an independent investigation was launched in Queensland. The family demands a public report, insisting that they should have been warned in advance about the organ retention and that the circumstances of Byron's death remain unclear.
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