Police rule suicide in death of Englishman in Kuta

A 48-year-old Englishman committed suicide in his home in Kuta, Bali on Jan. 13. Photo: Handout
A 48-year-old Englishman committed suicide in his home in Kuta, Bali on Jan. 13. Photo: Handout

The Denpasar City Police Department said autopsy results of an Englishman who died in Kuta confirmed that the foreigner committed suicide.

Related — Englishman found dead in Bali home likely committed suicide: police

In line with early suspicions, the police say there is ample evidence that 48-year-old HW committed suicide due to depression.

“From our crime scene investigation, we found anti-depressants in high doses. Other than that, the autopsy results show that he committed suicide. Rumors that he was murdered are false,” Denpasar Police Chief Jansen Avitus Panjaitan said yesterday.

HW died on Jan. 13 after he was found bleeding from multiple stab wounds in his home in Kuta. The autopsy determined that there were 10 wounds in total, the majority of them showing signs of hesitation in the penetration of the sharp object, suggesting that they were self-inflicted.

The autopsy also found that there were no holes from the sharp object on HW’s clothing, suggesting that he lifted his shirt before stabbing himself.

Police say HW, who had lived in Bali for two years and worked as a hotel chef, became depressed  after he lost his job. On Jan. 10, he was injured after he drove his car into a street food stall, but escaped from the hospital after refusing treatment. 

Police say he also had a history of abuse towards his girlfriend, a 42-year-old Indonesian woman. His girlfriend reported the abuse to the Kuta Police but eventually withdrew her complaint.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from depression and/or contemplating suicide, you can get more information and resources from several local NGOs dealing with mental health and suicide prevention, such as intothelightid.org. You can also reach out to Bali-based Love Inside Suicide Awareness (LISA) helpline at +628113855472.



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