Following last month's tragedy in Sham Shui Po, where a man, suspected to be overwhelmed by caregiving stress, died by suicide with his intellectually disabled sister in a subdivided flat through charcoal burning, another heartbreaking incident occurred in the same district.
A woman who had suffered from mental illness for years, suspected to be unable to bear the pressure of caring for her elderly mother and younger brother with Down syndrome, allegedly killed her mother and brother before attempting suicide.
This incident once again highlights the alarming issue of caregivers reaching their breaking point. Legislative Council (LegCo) Members, social workers, and advocacy groups believe that each tragedy reflects the lack of community support for caregivers. They urge the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to promptly establish a comprehensive caregiver policy and call on society to pay more attention to families in need of caregiving support, assisting them.
The crime scene was a unit on Cheung Sha Wan Road in Sham Shui Po, home to a family of four. The 85-year-old female head of the household suffered from multiple age-related illnesses and required regular medical check-ups. She was usually cared for by her 52-year-old eldest daughter, who had struggled with depression for nearly 30 years. The woman's 47-year-old son, who had Down syndrome, typically stayed at a care home in Tsing Yi from Monday to Friday and was brought back home by his family on weekends. The mother and daughter were unemployed, with only the son-in-law working to support the family of four.
Suspected of succumbing to pressure
Sources indicate that the son had been unwell and stayed home for about three weeks without returning to the care home. During this time, a social worker from the care home called to check on the family and conducted a home visit on August 18, finding nothing unusual at the time. Following recent discussions with the family, the social worker had planned to visit the home again the day before yesterday to return the son to the care home.
However, the eldest daughter, who suffered from depression, was overwhelmed by the stress of simultaneously caring for her mother and brother. She had confided in friends about the immense pressure, stating that her physical condition made it difficult to cope and even expressed suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, she did not seek help in time.
The case came to light around 4 p.m. the day before yesterday when the son-in-law was out working, leaving only the elderly woman and her two children at home. The eldest daughter, surnamed Lam, allegedly lost control of her emotions and attacked her mother and brother. When the social worker arrived to take the son back to the care home, no one answered the door, and strange noises were heard, prompting the social worker to call the police.
Officers and firefighters rushed to the scene, forced entry, and found the elderly woman lying unconscious in the living room with severe neck injuries and covered in blood. Her son was also unconscious on a bed in the bedroom.
Paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene. Preliminary findings indicated that the elderly woman had four sharp-force injuries on her neck, while the son showed no visible wounds and was suspected to have been suffocated.
Police findsuspect and bloody scissors on rooftop
During the investigation, officers noticed that the back door leading to the stairwell was open and proceeded to search the area. They found the eldest daughter sitting dangerously on the edge of the building's rooftop, attempting to take her own life. After persuasion, firefighters rescued her and brought her to safety. Police arrested her on suspicion of murder and sent her to the hospital for examination.
The Regional Crime Unit cordoned off the scene for forensic investigation and found a pair of blood-stained scissors suspected to be involved in the crime on the first-floor canopy. Late last night, investigators collected multiple pieces of evidence from the crime scene, and the bodies of the mother and son were taken to the mortuary for further autopsy.
Acting superintendent Cheng Ki-fung described the case as "heartbreaking" during a briefing yesterday. He urged the public not to harm themselves or others, no matter how difficult or stressful their circumstances may be. He advised people to pay attention to family members or friends showing signs of emotional distress and seek help from their local Integrated Family Service Centre, the Social Welfare Department hotline at 2343 2255, or professional medical personnel if needed.
The Social Welfare Department expressed deep concern over the incident and stated that they had contacted the family to provide appropriate assistance based on their welfare needs. Since last month, a pilot program for a caregiver database has been implemented in Sha Tin and Kwun Tong, arranging visits by care teams to elderly individuals living alone or in "double-elderly" households. As of August 7, over 1,500 caregivers have been contacted or visited, with more than 120 welfare service referrals made.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Xiao; English Editor: Darius)
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