Bali murder: Dutch tourist Rene Pouw brutally killed by two male ‘assassins’ while girlfriend forced to watch
WARNING: Graphic and disturbing details
A Balinese tourist was brutally murdered in the street by two male “assassins” while his girlfriend was forced to watch.
Rene Pouw, 49, was visiting an idyllic place in Indonesia with his partner when they were approached by two men on a motorcycle at 10pm on March 23.
The pair were just outside their villa in Kerobokan when the men, who were sharing a motorbike and both carrying knives, launched a violent attack.
The 30-year-old woman, identified only as PI, told local police that Mr Pouw tried to defend himself but was left with wounds all over his body, including his head, neck, shoulder, lower thighs, hands and arms.
He said one of the men was wearing a black and green jacket usually worn by delivery drivers in Indonesia. After attacking Mr Pouw, a Dutch national, the man in the jacket chased the PI down the street, holding the knife soaked in his blood. news.com.au reported.
Local police commissioner Ketut Agus Pasek Sudina said the PI, an Indonesian national, had to go into hiding.
“The victim’s girlfriend hid in a dark area in front of villa number four as she was targeted by the perpetrator wearing an ojol jacket,” he said.
“(Only) did he dare to go out after he felt safe and saw the perpetrators running towards the main road.”
A second witness, identified as KPTAP, told police he heard screams before spotting the “assassins.”
The man, who saw two men fleeing the gruesome scene in a black Honda Vario, remembered that the passenger was holding a long knife. According to some local media, this knife was a samurai sword.
It is unclear who alerted authorities to the incident, but Mr Pouw was taken to hospital by ambulance.
He lost consciousness during the journey and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital as a result of severe blood loss.
Mr Pouw’s body is currently being prepared for a forensic autopsy as police investigate his death, the latest in a string of suspected gang-related murders.
Forensic expert Nola Margaret Gunawan said she had so far only performed an external examination of Mr. Pouw’s body.
“Most of the wounds are large in size and mostly on the upper body and head,” Dr Gunawan said.
Dr. has been working as a coroner in Bali for the last seven years. Gunawan said there has been a significant increase in violent homicides.
“From the first day I started working in Bali until the end of 2024, I performed an autopsy on a murder victim,” Dr Gunawan said.
“But for the first six months of 2025, I’ve had one murder victim every month, and that was only while I was on duty,” he said. “This is the second murder victim I’ve had this year, and we’re still in March.”
Police said they were still working to determine the cause of the attack and that none of Mr. Pouw’s belongings were stolen.
Dutch media speculated that Mr. Pouw was a man “on the run” from authorities regarding drug crimes.
The Hague foreign ministry said it was aware of Mr Pouw’s death but would not confirm whether he was the same person “known in the underworld”.
