Isidore Bakanja: Episode Five

The Saints

This episode dramatizes the 1909 trial of Charles Van Cotter, an overseer in the Belgian Congo accused of causing the death of Isidore Bakan

Key takeaways

• Charles Van Cotter was found guilty of murder for using physical 'discipline' that led to Isidore's death.
• The central conflict involved Isidore's refusal to remove his scapular, a Catholic devotional item.

Main topics

• Trial of Charles Van Cotter
• Belgian Congo rubber colonies

Notable quotes

A promise does not weep a man. Promises do not lock a shed.

Conclusion

The episode serves as a powerful testament to the endurance of persona

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:00) The Belgian Congo, 1909. Beaten and imprisoned to die, Isidore lies silently in the shed. A silent witness to the cruelty inflicted on workers in the rubber colonies. But will anything good come of his sufferings? Speaker 1 (0:25) The Saints, Adventures of Faith and Courage. Isidore Baconga, Episode 5, Verdict of the Heart. Listen to all the episodes and discover new shows at thesaintspodcast.com. Speaker 5 (0:45) State your name for the record. Speaker 6 (0:46) Charles Van Cotter. Speaker 5 (0:48) Your position at the time of these events? Speaker 6 (0:51) Overseer of labor and rubber production, which includes maintaining order and discipline among the workers. Speaker 5 (0:57) Monsieur Van Cotter, did you kill Isidore Bakanja? I did not. Did you intend for him to die? No. What was your intention? To correct a problem. Objection. Speaker 8 (1:10) His answer is too vague. Sustained. The witness will explain. He was disruptive. He prayed constantly. He had men whispering, gathering. Speaker 5 (1:20) Their work slowed. They looked at him like he was above the rules. And the rules matter. Rules are the only thing that keeps a camp from turning savage. You warned him? Many times. You ordered him to remove the scapular. Why? Because it was a symbol of defiance. It drew the attention of the other workers. I told him to remove it, and he refused. And in your experience, what happens when one man is allowed to... to be defiant? Speaker 6 (1:51) Others follow. Order falls apart. Soon defiance is all there is. So Speaker 5 (1:57) you had no choice but to discipline Isidore, to prevent unrest. Speaker 6 (2:01) Yes. And why did you place him in the shed? Because he had to be isolated. So the camp would return to normal. No more questions. Speaker 8 (2:12) Your turn, Monsieur Regnier. Speaker 6 (2:15) Monsieur Van Cotter, you say Isidore Bakanja was disruptive. He was. Let's be clear. He was well-liked, well-mannered, a hard worker. Is that true? He worked. That's not my question. Was he a hard worker? I suppose. Was he respected? By some. By many? By many. And he was not accused of theft, violence, sabotage, anything of the kind? No. The problem was the scapular he wore that was so important to him. It was just a small piece of cloth he insisted on wearing around his neck. It symbolized his belief. He refused to let you take away that belief. I must maintain order. You ordered him to surrender. Surrender his faith. Surrender his devotion. Objection. Sustained. Rephrase the question, Monsieur Regnier. You demanded Isidore remove the scapular. And when he refused, you beat him. I disciplined him. Tell the court, did you strike him? I authorized discipline. Did you strike him? No. So you ordered the beating? I ordered correction. By whip? Yes. It was my right. I was in charge of the work camp. It was my right to