KUTA, Bali â Australian father Damien John Shaw, 56, and his two young children have been found dead inside their bungalow in Bali, with Indonesian police investigating the case as a suspected murder-suicide while forensic work continues.
Shaw’s six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter were discovered alongside him on Sunday morning after neighbours forced their way into the Kuta property. The alarm was raised by the children’s mother, who was in Jakarta and had become concerned during a phone call with Shaw.
- Damien John Shaw was 56 and was reported to have been born in Fremantle, Western Australia.
- His son was six and his daughter was four.
- The family had leased the Kuta bungalow since 2022.
- The children’s mother was in Jakarta when she raised the alarm.
- Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide but have not announced final findings.
- Forensic evidence, CCTV and witness accounts are being examined.
Disturbing phone call led to discovery
Police said Shaw’s wife contacted a neighbour after becoming concerned during a phone conversation with her husband.
She reportedly heard one of the children crying before the call disconnected. Australian media citing police information have additionally reported that a child was heard saying âStop Daddyâ during the call.
After Shaw could no longer be reached, his wife asked a neighbour to check on the family. The neighbour contacted others and the local community head before they forced open the bungalow and discovered the three bodies.
The reported words heard during the call form part of the investigation and should not alone be treated as proof of what occurred inside the home.
Police examine CCTV and forensic evidence
Denpasar City Police said a forensic examination of the scene was carried out on Sunday.
Senior Commissioner Leonardo D Simatupang said investigators were analysing the crime scene, reviewing CCTV and interviewing witnesses, including Shaw’s wife, as they attempt to establish the exact circumstances of the deaths.
Australian reporting citing Indonesian police information said Shaw was found hanging from window bars while the children were found on the floor. Preliminary police assessments have reportedly considered smothering and strangulation in relation to the children’s deaths.
Those findings are not final. The bodies were taken to a hospital in Denpasar, where further forensic examinations and possible autopsies could establish the precise causes and approximate times of death.
Suspected murder-suicide has not been conclusively established
Police are examining the deaths as a suspected murder-suicide, but investigators have not yet announced a final determination.
CCTV footage, forensic evidence, telephone records and witness statements could help establish the sequence of events during the family’s final hours. Until that process is complete, describing Shaw as having definitively killed the children would go beyond what authorities have formally established.
Australian authorities assisting the family
Shaw was reported to have been born in Fremantle, Western Australia. WA Premier Roger Cook described the deaths as a âhorrific situationâ and expressed sympathy for everyone affected while saying authorities needed to establish what happened.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the family. Australians dealing with serious incidents overseas can find information through the Australian government’s consular services guidance.
Recent Bali emergencies involving Australians
The case follows other serious incidents involving Australians in Indonesia. A separate recent incident involving an Australian woman at Kelingking Beach prompted an emergency response at the popular Bali destination.
Australians have also faced emergencies elsewhere overseas, including the recent Qatar Airways Melbourne-to-Doha flight incident, where passengers reportedly restrained two men following an alleged threat.
Police work to reconstruct the final hours
The investigation is now centred on forensic findings, CCTV footage and witness interviews. Police will seek to establish the causes and timing of the deaths and determine how the mother’s phone call fits into the sequence of events.
Until those enquiries are completed, the deaths remain a suspected murder-suicide under investigation, with Indonesian authorities yet to provide a final account of what happened inside the Kuta bungalow.
Support is available
The circumstances of this case may be distressing. In Australia, Lifeline is available on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, 13YARN on 13 92 76, and MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978. In an immediate emergency, call 000.
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