Indonesian police are investigating the deaths of an Australian man and his two young children, whose bodies were discovered inside a bungalow in Kuta, a popular tourist district in the southern part of the Indonesian island of Bali, on Sunday morning. The man, identified by police as Damien John Shaw, originally from Fremantle in Western Australia, and his two children — a boy aged six and a girl aged four, who also held Indonesian citizenship — were found deceased after neighbours forced their way into the property. Australian media have reported the case is being treated as a suspected murder-suicide, though police told the BBC they had not yet formally determined the cause or manner of death and that further examinations would be carried out.

The discovery was prompted by the children's mother, who was in the Indonesian capital Jakarta at the time. She grew concerned after hearing one of her children crying during a phone call with her husband and subsequently being unable to reach him again. She called a neighbour, 51-year-old Nur Khamid, asking him to check on her family. Khamid went to the bungalow but could see no activity inside. He enlisted the help of the property owner and local neighbourhood officials before residents knocked and eventually forced open the door, finding the three bodies inside.

Denpasar police said that from an initial external examination, the two children were suspected to have died as a result of acts of violence, while the father was suspected to have died by hanging. Officers have been processing the crime scene, reviewing CCTV footage, and questioning witnesses, including the man's wife, who has given a statement to investigators. The bodies were taken to Prof Dr IGNG Ngoerah Central General Hospital for further examination.

Denpasar police chief senior commissioner Leonardo D Simatupang confirmed that investigators had also coordinated with the Australian consulate. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the family and expressed its condolences, but declined to provide further details citing privacy obligations. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook described the news as "a very confronting situation", adding: "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."

The case has drawn significant attention in Australia, where authorities and the public are awaiting the outcome of the full forensic and criminal investigation by Indonesian police.