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Edith Lin

Emily Hung

Hong Kong police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide after an 80-year-old man jumped to his death from a residential building, shortly before officers found his 66-year-old wife dead inside their flat with severe head and body injuries.
Preliminary investigations found that the couple, married for more than four decades, had planned to divorce due to relationship problems, although authorities had no record of previous domestic disputes between them.
The police force said on Monday that a security guard at Kwai Chung Estate, a public housing estate in Kwai Tsing, reported that the retired man had fallen from Chun Kwai House at about 11.30pm the previous night.
His wife, who worked as a cleaner, was later found dead in the living room of their flat in the same block. She had sustained serious injuries to her head and body.
Wan Chun-hong, the force’s acting assistant district commander (crime) for Kwai Tsing district, said the couple were pronounced dead at the scene.
“According to a preliminary forensic examination, the force believes the man died after falling from a height, while the woman died after being struck on the head with hard objects. She is believed to have died between 7pm and 11pm that night,” Wan said.
Police found three mobile phones belonging to the couple in the flat, along with bloodstained clothing and hard objects inside a rubbish bin in the communal area on the same floor.
The objects included a 60cm-long metal rack, two metal strips and a laundry rack.

Wan said police had not found a suicide note or identified any witnesses. But the window and its grilles in the flat were open and faced the direction where the man was found after his fatal fall.
Police had not previously received reports of family disputes involving the couple, and neither had a record of mental illness.
But Wan said the pair, who had been married for more than 40 years, were on bad terms and that their two daughters had moved out years ago.
“The couple had earlier told their family that they planned to divorce because of relationship problems, while the man had also expressed suicidal intentions,” Wan said.
He added that the investigation had found no evidence that the couple were under financial pressure.
Police will continue investigating the suspected murder-suicide. Officers will examine the couple’s phones, arrange postmortem examinations and look for witnesses.
Wan said he believed the incident was an isolated domestic case and urged members of the public to seek professional help for relationship, financial or other problems.
He also called on family members to offer support if they noticed anyone struggling with emotional distress.
A spokesman of Harmony House, a non-governmental organisation supporting victims of domestic violence, said severe marital distress should never be treated as a private matter.
“When a relationship reaches a stage where separation or divorce is being considered, or when one partner feels overwhelmed, hopeless, or emotionally distressed, [they] should regard the situation as a significant warning sign rather than simply a private marital dispute,” he said.
Unresolved long-term tensions, emotional distress, persistent arguments, depressive symptoms, or expressions of suicidal or violent thoughts often precede family incidents, he said.
To prevent similar tragedies, he said the government and social welfare sector must enhance emotional support and suicide prevention services for older adults and men, who are often reluctant to seek help due to cultural stigma.
“In reality, asking for help is often one of the most courageous and responsible steps a person can take,” the spokesman said.
Social welfare lawmaker Grace Chan Man-yee said the tragedy shed light on the limitations of existing social support networks in reaching “hidden families”.
“The current mechanism of identifying families at risk relies heavily on referrals or voluntary participation, instead of reaching out to them proactively,” she said.
“We need to better identify and support the mental health needs of elderly people, while giving caregivers more space and emotional backing.”
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline.
You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.


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Hong Kong police investigating after woman found dead in flat shortly after alleged suicide of 80-year-old husband in Kwai Chung Estate


Hong Kong police investigating after woman found dead in flat shortly after alleged suicide of 80-year-old husband in Kwai Chung Estate.


Hong Kong police

Suicides in Hong Kong

Mental health

Murder-suicide suspected as woman, 66, found dead after husband jumps from building

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong police investigating after woman found dead in flat shortly after alleged suicide of 80-year-old husband in Kwai Chung Estate

Hong Kong police investigating after woman found dead in flat shortly after alleged suicide of 80-year-old husband in Kwai Chung Estate