In a rented bungalow on the Indonesian island of Bali, a family's silence became the first signal of tragedy — a mother's unanswered calls from Jakarta setting in motion a discovery that would reveal the deaths of a 57-year-old Australian man and his two young children, aged seven and four. Indonesian authorities believe the father took the lives of his children before ending his own, though the full weight of what transpired remains under investigation. It is a moment that sits at the intersection of private anguish and public reckoning, reminding us how swiftly the domestic world can collaps
Australian father suspected of killing two children before suicide in Bali
Three people died: a 57-year-old Australian man and his two children aged 7 and 4, with preliminary findings suggesting the father killed the children before taking his own life.
She was in Jakarta, and asked Khamid to check on her husband and family
Mark
What made the mother suspicious enough to ask someone to check on them that morning?
Mimi
The reporting doesn't say. She was in Jakarta and couldn't reach them—that's all we know. It could have been a missed call, a broken pattern, something she sensed. We don't have her account yet.
Luke
Right. And that matters because it might tell us whether there were warning signs, or whether this came without notice. But the police statement doesn't include that detail.
Mark
The preliminary findings say violence for the children and hanging for the father. How certain is that?
Mimi
It's what the initial external examination suggested. But they're still doing full autopsies at the hospital. The police chief was careful to say they're still investigating—this isn't final.
Luke
Exactly. "Suspected" is the word they used. We don't know yet if there were other injuries, other circumstances. The narrative is plausible but not confirmed.
Mark
Why would someone do this?
Mimi
We have no information about that. No history of conflict, no statements from the wife about the relationship, nothing about his mental state or any crisis. The investigation is just beginning.
Luke
And that's important to name. We're reporting what happened, not why. The why might emerge, or it might not. But right now, it's absent from the record.
Mark
What happens next in the investigation?
Mimi
Police are reviewing CCTV, processing the scene for evidence, and continuing to question the wife and other witnesses. The autopsies will give them more information about how the children died.
Luke
The wife is both a witness and the person who discovered something was wrong. That's a complicated position. But again, we don't have her statement yet—only that police have taken one.
Le Pouls
- A mother in Jakarta, unable to reach her husband and children, set the discovery in motion by asking a neighbor to check on the family — a phone call that ended in the forced opening of a bungalow door and the finding of three bodies.
- Preliminary police findings point to a devastating sequence: the two children, aged seven and four, died from acts of violence, while their father is believed to have died by hanging shortly after.
- The investigation is active and unresolved — Denpasar police are processing the crime scene, reviewing CCTV footage, and interviewing witnesses including the children's mother, who has already given a statement to Kuta police.
- The Australian consulate has been notified and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance, though privacy obligations limit what officials are prepared to say publicly.
- The dual Australian-Indonesian citizenship of the victims adds a layer of jurisdictional sensitivity, with both nations now touched by a loss that is as intimate as it is irreversible.
In a rented bungalow on the Indonesian island of Bali, a family's silence became the first signal of tragedy — a mother's unanswered calls from Jakarta setting in motion a discovery that would reveal the deaths of a 57-year-old Australian man and his two young children, aged seven and four. Indonesian authorities believe the father took the lives of his children before ending his own, though the full weight of what transpired remains under investigation. It is a moment that sits at the intersection of private anguish and public reckoning, reminding us how swiftly the domestic world can collapse beyond the sight of those who love us most.
Three Australians — a 57-year-old man and his children aged seven and four — were found dead inside a rented bungalow in Kuta, Bali, on Sunday morning. Indonesian police believe the father killed his young children before taking his own life, though the investigation is still in its early stages.
The discovery began with a mother's silence. Unable to reach her family from Jakarta, she called a 51-year-old acquaintance named Nur Khamid and asked him to check on them. When Khamid arrived and saw no movement through the windows, he contacted the property owner. Together, they returned to the bungalow, and after repeated knocking went unanswered, forced the door open to find the three bodies inside.
Police conducted a preliminary examination at the scene. Initial findings indicated the two children died from acts of violence, while the father appeared to have died by hanging. The bodies were transferred to a central hospital in Denpasar for further examination. Investigators are now reviewing CCTV footage, processing the crime scene, and questioning witnesses. The children's mother has already given a statement to Kuta police.
The Australian consulate was notified and is coordinating with local authorities. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family, offering condolences while declining further comment out of respect for privacy. The man and his children held both Australian and Indonesian citizenship. The precise circumstances that led to the deaths remain under investigation.
Three Australians were found dead in a rented bungalow in Kuta, Bali, on Sunday morning—a 57-year-old man and his two children, ages seven and four. Indonesian police believe the father killed his young children before taking his own life, though the investigation remains ongoing.
The discovery came after the children's mother, who was in Jakarta at the time, became unable to reach her family. Around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, she called a witness, 51-year-old Nur Khamid, and asked him to check on her husband and children. When Khamid arrived at the bungalow, he saw no signs of activity through the windows. He then contacted the property owner, and together they returned to the residence. After the bungalow owner and a neighborhood official knocked repeatedly on the door without response, they forced it open and found the three bodies inside.
Police arrived to conduct a preliminary examination at the scene. According to Denpasar police, their initial findings suggested the two children died from acts of violence, while the 57-year-old man appeared to have died by hanging. The bodies were transferred to Prof Dr IGNG Ngoerah Central general hospital for further examination. Denpasar police chief Leonardo D Simatupang said investigators were still working to establish the full cause of death, including processing the crime scene, reviewing CCTV footage from the bungalow, and questioning witnesses.
Kuta police had already taken a statement from the man's wife and reviewed available security camera footage. They coordinated with the Australian consulate as the investigation proceeded. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the family, offering condolences while declining to comment further due to privacy obligations.
The man and his two children held both Australian and Indonesian citizenship. The investigation is still in its early stages, with police working to determine the precise circumstances that led to the deaths.
Citations marquantes
Investigators are still conducting inquiries, including crime scene processing, examining CCTV footage at the scene, and questioning witnesses to determine the cause of death— Denpasar police chief Leonardo D Simatupang
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