Authorities in Bali, Indonesia have launched a full investigation into the tragic deaths of an Australian national and his two young children, whose bodies were discovered inside a rental bungalow in the island’s busy tourist hub of Kuta. The deceased have been identified as 56-year-old Damien John Shaw, originally from Fremantle, Western Australia, his 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.
The sequence of events that led to the discovery began when Shaw’s wife, who was not present in Bali at the time, reached out to local neighbours to check on the family. According to police statements, the woman had been on a phone call with her husband when she heard one of her children crying in the background, before the call cut off unexpectedly. After she was unable to re-establish contact with Shaw in subsequent attempts, she alerted neighbours to the potential emergency. It has been confirmed that the woman had traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, several days before the incident.
When neighbours arrived at the property and received no answer to repeated knocks on the door, they forced entry alongside other local residents, and made the grim discovery of the three bodies inside the bungalow on Sunday. Local police have dispatched teams of investigators and forensics officers to process the crime scene, but have so far not confirmed the official cause or manner of death. Further forensic examinations are currently underway to establish a clear timeline and determine how the three victims died.
While Australian media outlets have cited law enforcement sources describing the case as a suspected murder-suicide, Indonesian police have pushed back on premature conclusions, saying they will not confirm any motive or cause until all evidence has been reviewed. Western Australia Premier Roger Cook has publicly responded to the tragedy, describing it as deeply distressing. “This is a very sad situation; our hearts go out to everyone involved. We hope we can get to the bottom of what’s gone on as soon as possible,” Cook told reporters.