Bokoko (2003)

An excerpt from "Courage in the Congo: A Doctor's Fight to Save the Pygmies"

At the end of November, a Botoa student, who had many troubles and no longer stayed at the boarding home, died. Precisely what happened is not clear. I heard that on November 15, the boy drank a lot and stayed with a friend in Lakula. He did not go back to his village. During the night, he went looking for a girl. Someone threw a large stone that struck him in his left lower chest. The next day he went home and complained of pain. He came to the hospital on November 20, and Dr. Charles admitted him after diagnosing a chest wound.

Unknown to us, the family continued to treat him with enemas of toxic herbs. After five days, he had severe abdominal pain. He underwent surgery, and they found he had a perforated stomach and a ruptured spleen. He died on the operating table. The previous day, he told his family and nurse that Bokoko had thrown the stone. Bokoko had recently passed the senior biology and chemistry state exam. He denied the accusation, and there were no witnesses. The deceased boy had a conflict with Bokoko, so I wondered if he named him out of spite.

The authorities jailed Bokoko in Kiri to wait until the investigator finished his work and sent his report to the court in Inongo. Everyone believed Bokoko would be found innocent and that he would be acquitted. I felt sorry that this happened because Bokoko planned to leave for Kinshasa this week to begin studying at the university. I prayed for both families.