The Death of Roger Nzoy Wilhelm
On 30 August 2021, Roger Nzoy Wilhelm, a 37-year-old Black Swiss and South African man, was killed by the police at Morges railway station, Switzerland. At the request of Nzoy’s family, Border Forensics, in collaboration with the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Death of Roger Nzoy Wilhelm, has conducted a counter-investigation.
PHOTO: Border Forensics
PHOTO: Border Forensics
On 30 August 2021, Roger Nzoy Wilhelm, a 37-year-old Black Swiss and South African man, was killed by the police at Morges railway station, Switzerland. Four years after the event, and following two failed attempts by the public prosecutor to close the case, neither truth nor accountability have been established. At the request of Nzoy’s family, Border Forensics, in collaboration with the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Death of Roger Nzoy Wilhelm, has conducted a counter-investigation.
While Border Forensics has to date focused on the continuum of border violence that affects the trajectories of migrants, this investigation focuses on the violent policing of the boundary of race and the way it materialises within societies. Our analysis of the circumstances of Nzoy’s death demonstrates that while he was in psychological distress, the police officers’ inaccurate and biased perception of him as a threat led them to prioritise the use of lethal force over assistance and care.
We further locate Nzoy’s killing in relation to other cases of police-related deaths in Switzerland and analyse the structural conditions that have enabled them. We conclude that the othering of Nzoy, including his racialisation as a “man of colour” read in combination with his masculinity and psychological distress, shaped the police response that led to his death.
This report addresses incidents of violence that may be distressing. We invite readers to approach the content with care.