A West Australian man and his two young children were found dead in a rented bungalow in Bali on Sunday in what authorities suspect to be a murder-suicide. The bodies were discovered at the Arca Bungalow on Three Brothers Street, Kuta, following concerns raised by the children’s mother, who had recently left for Jakarta.

According to police, the mother made an urgent plea for help after a distressing phone call with the family was abruptly cut off while she reportedly heard her daughter crying and pleading, "Stop, Daddy." Unable to reach the family by phone afterward, she contacted the bungalow’s landlord, CK De, and a neighbour, Nur Khamid, who went to check on the household. When there was no response, they forced entry around 8:30 a.m. local time (10:30 a.m. AEST) and found the bodies of the man, identified as 56-year-old Frenchman Damien John Shaw, and his two children, a six-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl.

The victims were taken to Professor Ngoerah Hospital in Denpasar, where an initial external examination by the Denpasar Police Identification Unit suggested the children died by smothering and strangulation before Mr. Shaw took his own life. The hospital’s forensic doctor, Henry, confirmed that the children’s mother had returned to Bali and visited the facility on Sunday. She has been cooperating with authorities, though no formal request for a detailed autopsy had been made as of yet.

Mr. Shaw, listed as an unemployed merchant seaman on a professional networking site, and his family signed a lease for the Arca Bungalow in 2022, committing to stay until 2029.

Denpasar Police Chief Leonardo Simatupang said investigations were ongoing, including crime scene analysis, reviewing CCTV footage, and interviewing witnesses, including the children’s mother. He emphasized that police remain focused on determining the precise circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The bodies were released from the hospital on Monday for burial. West Australian Premier Roger Cook described the incident as "horrific," extending condolences to those affected. A representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that consular assistance was being provided to the family.