Arya News - Denpasar Police Chief Sr. Comr. Leonardo David Simatupang said the three Australians were identified as 57-year-old SJD, his 6-year-old son ADS, and his 4-year-old daughter LKS.
JAKARTA – The Denpasar police are investigating the deaths of three Australians in a bungalow in the Bali resort town of Kuta over the weekend, with initial reports indicating that a father may have killed his two young children before taking his own life.
Denpasar Police Chief Sr. Comr. Leonardo David Simatupang said investigators were still working to establish the exact circumstances and cause of the deaths.
“Investigators are still conducting examinations, including processing the crime scene, reviewing CCTV footage from the location and taking statements from witnesses, including the victims’ wife, to establish the cause of death,” he said on Monday as quoted by public television broadcaster TVRI.
Leonardo said the three Australians were identified as 57-year-old SJD, his 6-year-old son ADS and his 4-year-old daughter LKS.
Their bodies were found by neighbors on Sunday morning after SJD’s 32-year-old Indonesian wife, TY, who was in Jakarta at the time, asked them to check on her family, he said.
“The victim’s wife asked a neighbor to check the bungalow. The neighbor went to the property and looked through a window but saw no signs of activity. He then informed the local community leader, who arrived with several residents and forced open the bungalow’s door,” he said.
Inside the room, residents found SJD hanging from a metal window grille by an electrical cord, while the two children were found lying on the floor, Leonardo added.
The three bodies were taken to Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar for further examination, police said.
According to Leonardo, the initial investigation pointed to a suspected murder-suicide. An external examination of the bodies found signs of injury around the neck of one of the children, he said.
“CCTV footage from inside the bungalow captured audio of ADS screaming in a bedroom. LKS then came out of the room screaming and was chased by SJD. He caught her and took her back into the room,” Leonardo said, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Leonardo said the younger child appeared to run away in fear as she was chased by her father, possibly after seeing her older sibling being attacked.
“She ran around while being chased, saying, ‘I love you, Daddy. I love you, Daddy,’” he added.
Leonardo said SJD had been married to TY for about six years. The couple had experienced difficulties in their marriage and nearly divorced in 2022 before reconciling, he said.
Despite the marital difficulties, there had been no reports of arguments between the couple in the period leading up to the deaths, Leonardo said.
“TY’s trip to Jakarta at the time of the incident was not because of an argument with her husband. She went to visit her parents, who live in Jakarta,” he said, according to Detik.com.
TY told police that SJD had suffered from an anxiety disorder for several years, but had never sought medical treatment. TY also said that SJD had attempted suicide about a month before the deaths. He had tried to strangle himself with a cord, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
The Denpasar Police have been coordinating with the Australian consulate in Bali over the case, Leonardo said.
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that it was providing consular assistance to the family of the three Australians, The Guardian reported.
“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment,” the spokesperson said in a statement.