Brit whose naked body was found near an off-grid community in Italy is named: Police 'rule out suicide' as they probe 'ritual gone wrong'
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By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
A British man whose naked body was discovered near a secluded off-grid community in Sicily has been named.
Italian investigators are probing the mysterious death of 35-year-old Benjamin John Braithwaite from Leeds, who was found at around 3am on September 13 in the countryside between Noto and Canicattini Bagni in the province of Syracuse.
Local reports now suggest investigators have moved away from the possibility that he took his own life, while a theory that his death may have followed an erotic game gone wrong remains under investigation.
An autopsy was carried out this week, although Italian reports say it has not yet provided a definitive explanation for how Braithwaite died.
Toxicology and other examinations are expected to provide further evidence as police continue to reconstruct his final hours.
Braithwaite is understood to have arrived in the area several days before his death and had become involved with a group living an alternative lifestyle in abandoned farm buildings and makeshift camps surrounded by countryside.
His body was found naked close to a farmhouse where members of the community had been staying.
According to local reports, a rope was discovered nearby and initial medical examinations identified marks around his neck, prompting investigators to examine whether he could have died as a result of asphyxiation.
One line of inquiry is whether an erotic game or sexual practice may have gone tragically wrong.
Italian police are also investigating whether drugs or other substances were involved.
The case has attracted widespread speculation because of reports about unusual objects allegedly found in the area.
Local reports claimed imagery had been found nearby of 'a goat's head, several bottles of psychotropic drugs, and other objects suggesting rituals'.
However, authorities have stressed that there is no evidence linking Braithwaite's death to an esoteric or occult ritual.
A Carabinieri spokesman previously confirmed that a 'drawing with esoteric connotations' had been found on a wall around the property, but said it was not close to where the body was discovered.
The investigation is being led by Carabinieri officers based in Noto and is being co-ordinated by prosecutors in Syracuse.
Police have previously said there were no suspects under investigation, although Italian reports have said investigators are examining a number of possible explanations for the death.
Braithwaite was reportedly found after people attending a gathering at the rural site noticed he had left while they were eating and playing music.
The area has become home to a number of people who have chosen to live away from conventional society, with some occupying abandoned farmhouses and makeshift settlements.
Pictured: Countryside in the region between the municipalities of Noto and Canicattini Bagni in the province of Syracuse in Sicily
Canicattini Bagni mayor and president of ANCI Sicilia, Paolo Amenta, said those living in the communal farmhouses in the area are graduates who chose to live in isolation.
'The young people who decided to live in those areas are also graduates who chose to leave everything behind. We hope the investigations can clarify what happened,' he said.
'These are people I've met in the evenings, especially during events organised in the village. They've always been kind. They live in reorganised villages surrounded by nature.'
Braithwaite's family has been informed of his death and the British foreign office said it was supporting them.
A spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Italy and are in touch with the local authorities.'
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