BADUNG, BALINEWS – Residents around Jalan Persada No. 868, Kerobokan Kelod Village, North Kuta District, Badung, were shocked by the discovery of a dead baby boy in a roadside drainage ditch on Thursday (November 5, 2026), at around 9 a.m. The body was already decomposing, with several injuries found, including a suspected stab wound to the chest.
The body was first discovered by Dominggus Mau, 38, an employee at Bali Best Buy furniture store, while he was about to relieve himself near a drainage ditch beside his workplace.
North Kuta Police Chief Kompol I Ketut Sukadana explained that Dominggus initially noticed a swarm of flies gathering around an object that appeared to resemble a doll. Suspicious of what he saw, he called his colleague, Toni Hariadi, 50, to help identify the object.
Toni initially thought it was the carcass of an animal, possibly a dog or cat. However, when the two men approached it, they were shocked to discover that the object floating in the drain was actually the body of a baby.
The discovery was subsequently reported to local customary village leader Anak Agung Ketut Sucipta, 49, who then notified the police.
Following the report, an identification team from Badung Police, North Kuta Police personnel, and medical staff from the North Kuta Community Health Center arrived at the scene to conduct an examination.
According to the initial identification conducted by the Badung Police forensic identification unit (Inafis), the victim was a baby boy estimated to have been approximately nine months into the pregnancy, meaning he was full-term.
The body was found lying on its back, with the head facing north and the feet pointing south.
Investigators found a wound approximately one centimeter long on the chest, suspected to have been caused by a sharp object. The baby's right thumb and right foot had also been severed. The top of the head was severely damaged, with a ruptured skull, while the umbilical cord was still attached. The skin around the abdomen had also deteriorated.
The baby was estimated to have been dead for more than 48 hours before being discovered.
Meanwhile, an examination by Dr. Gracia Karlina of the North Kuta Community Health Center confirmed that the body was already decomposing. The severed body parts were suspected to have been eaten by animals.
The body was subsequently transported by a Badung Regency Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) ambulance to Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar for further examination.
North Kuta Police Chief Kompol I Ketut Sukadana said investigators from the Criminal Investigation Unit were continuing their investigation to identify the baby's mother or biological parents, determine the cause of death, and establish who was responsible for the incident.
Police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the baby's death and the suspected disposal of the body in the drainage ditch.
