A Perth man and his two young children have been found dead in a Kuta villa in Bali in a suspected murder-suicide.
Indonesian authorities and Australian consular officials have launched an urgent investigation after a 56-year-old Perth man and his two young children were found dead inside a villa in the popular Bali tourist hub of Kuta.
The grim discovery was made on Sunday morning, September 13, 2026, following a frantic welfare check requested by the children’s mother.
A Desperate Phone Call and Forced Entry
According to preliminary reports from Badung Regency police, the tragic sequence of events unfolded when the children’s mother, who had travelled to Jakarta several days prior, was speaking with her partner, Damien John Shaw, over the phone.
During the conversation, the mother reportedly heard the children crying in the background, with one of the children pleading, “Stop, Daddy,” before the line abruptly went dead. Unable to reconnect with Shaw or reach anyone inside the accommodation on Three Brothers Street, she contacted a neighbour and property management to raise the alarm.
When staff and locals received no response from inside the villa, they forced their way through the door, discovering a devastating scene. Shaw, originally from Fremantle, Western Australia, was found dead alongside his six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter.
Investigation and Official Response
Local law enforcement secured the area and transferred the bodies to Professor Ngoerah Hospital in Denpasar to undergo full autopsies. While Indonesian investigators are treating the tragedy as a suspected murder-suicide, authorities have emphasised that formal medical and forensic evaluations remain ongoing.
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook addressed the developing situation on Monday, expressing profound shock over the incident.
“News is emerging of a horrific situation in Bali, where a father and children have lost their lives,” Premier Cook told reporters in Perth. “This is a very sad, sad situation, and our hearts go out to everyone involved. We hope that we can get to the bottom of what’s gone on as soon as possible.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed it is actively coordinating support. “We are providing consular assistance to the family of three Australians who died in Bali,” a DFAT spokesperson said in a brief statement, offering condolences while noting privacy obligations prevent further comment.
As friends, family, and the wider community process the profound loss, support services have been heavily highlighted for anyone impacted by family tragedies or mental health crises.
