Bishop Bala was not murdered: Cameroon government report
July 06, 2017
Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Balla, whose body was discovered in a river in Cameroon on June 2 was not murdered but drowned, according to a new autopsy report.
On July 4 the government of Cameroon reported the results of an autopsy conducting by a team of Terman doctors, under the supervision of Interpol. “After an in-depth examination, no trace of violence was found on the body of the deceased,” the doctors reported. They listed the cause of the bishop’s death as drowning.
The new autopsy report directly contradicts an earlier finding that Bishop Balla was a murder victim. The earlier autopsy also said that his body showed indications of torture.
The direct contradiction between the two reports highlights the level of mistrust between the Catholic bishops of Cameroon and the country’s government. Some observers have questioned whether the two autopsies were conducted on the same body.
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Further information:
- New autopsy refutes murder theory of Cameroon bishop (La Croix)
- Cameroon bishop was murdered, autopsy confirms (CWN, 6/8)
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