BADUNG, Bali – The Australian tourist heart withheld in Bali has left the family of Byron James Dumschat, also known as Byron Haddow, deeply distressed. They only discovered the missing organ two days before his funeral in Australia.

The family’s legal representatives stated that Byron’s heart remained at Prof. Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar. The hospital was said to have arranged the return of the organ to Queensland on August 11, 2025, without offering any explanation to the family.

“Instead of responding to our letter, Ngoerah immediately arranged for the return of the heart without providing proper clarification,” said one of the family’s lawyers, Ni Luh Arie Ratna Sukasari, on Wednesday (Sept. 24, 2025).

The family was also asked to cover additional costs of AUD 700, or around Rp 7 million, for the repatriation of the organ.

“They even asked our client to bear an additional fee of AUD 700 for the repatriation process,” she added.

Although Byron’s heart has now been returned, the family remains dissatisfied. They argue that many questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding the legal grounds for withholding the heart.

“What was the legal basis for keeping our client’s son’s heart? Why was there never any request for consent to retain it? And why was a separate autopsy carried out on the body and the heart?” asked another family lawyer, I Gusti Ngurah Bayu Padana.

In Australia, the process of identifying Byron’s heart is still ongoing. A DNA test is being conducted to confirm whether the organ indeed belongs to him.

“As of now, the coroner in Australia is still conducting DNA testing to determine whether this is Byron’s heart. There is still no certainty,” he added.