Divided families in spotlight as father leaps to death, leaving young sons
Two brothers, aged six and seven, were taken into care yesterday after their father jumped to his death while they slept.
The boys, whose mother lives on the mainland, were taken from their apartment in Siu Hong Court, Tuen Mun, after their father, 42, leapt from the 29th-floor flat at 5.45am.
He left suicide notes blaming financial problems and gambling debts.
The Social Welfare Department said the two boys had been taken to the Chuk Yuen Children's Reception Centre for temporary shelter.
'We counselled them, hoping to help relieve their stress and we tried to understand more about their family,' a spokesman said. 'We are trying to find their relatives.' It was too early to say if the Government would grant legal stay to the widow in Hong Kong, the spokesman said.
Ho Hei-wah, director of the Society for Community Organisation, estimated there were about 40,000 families with the husband and children in the SAR while the wife was alone on the mainland. 'It creates many family problems,' he said.
Debbie Hung Choi-fong, senior manager at the St James' Settlement's family and child services division, agreed.
'The father of the family is under tremendous pressure as he has to take care of the children and has to support the family financially,' she said.
'Unlike other families where the couple can talk to each other - offering emotional support when facing difficulties - these fathers do not have someone to talk to.' She urged the Government to offer special immigration arrangements for these families.
