Inquest 'likely' on maid's death
A coronor's inquest was likely to be held into the death of a domestic helper who drowned off Tung Chung pier, a police source said last night.
Earlier, a senior officer addressed concerned Discovery Bay residents about the investigation into the death of 31-year-old Vicenta Flores, who was found drowned after running away from her employers' home.
Lantau District Commander Chu Fun-wing spoke briefly about the case at the City Owners' Committee meeting last night, at the invitation of Civic Party district councillor Amy Yung Wing-sheung.
Earlier yesterday the woman's sister, Irene Flores-Reguis, and a friend collected her belongings from her employers' home in Seabee Lane.
Police had earlier said Flores was barefoot and dressed in pyjamas when she ran away on April 7. She was seen trying to board an airport bus at Tung Chung Development Pier at about 9.15pm, about an hour after running from her employers' house. The driver turned her away because she did not have the fare.
A police source said last night a witness had come forward who had seen Flores on a bus from Discovery Bay to Tung Chung. Her body was found in the sea at 6.35am on April 11.
Outside groups are continuing to press for more answers.
A coalition of concerned people last night discussed progress in their campaign to 'seek justice' for the woman, the youngest of eight children who came to Hong Kong 12 years ago vowing to improve their families' lives.
A migrant women's rights group called on the Philippine legislature to force the consulate in Hong Kong to actively investigate the woman's death as well as the alleged suicides of two other helpers in a month.
Esther Bangcawayan, secretary general of the Hong Kong arm of the Philippines' Gabriela Women's Party, said the consulate had not 'taken an initiative to investigate to show their concern'.
'They have the diplomatic power and protocol to do something about it but they are not around when migrants need them,' she said.
Police have classified the case as 'dead body found' with no suspicious circumstances.
Police said an examination of the body 'revealed no suspicious injury and initial inquiries detected no suspicious circumstances'.
'Postmortem results showed that the cause of death was drowning with no superficial injuries being found on the body,' the police added.
