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Ella Lee

WHEN A DERANGED father goes berserk in a small flat, killing his nine-year-old son and daughter, 10, who is to blame - himself or the Government?

That is the debate which has erupted since unemployed mould-maker Yip Kit-lun, 49, went on his murderous rampage on Sunday before hanging himself. He had been involved in a custody battle with his ex-wife over the children.

As heartbroken relatives and a shocked community came to grips with the tragedy, the competence of the Social Welfare Department was questioned.

Chopped to death in the Tsz Ching public housing estate flat were Yip Bit-hoi and his sister Lai-yin. Eldest daughter Lai-kwok, 12, was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood, with three fingers missing. She is still being treated in hospital.

When the children's uncle blamed government social workers for failing to prevent the murders, welfare officials bristled.

'No amount of services by social workers can replace the role of the family, who would know exactly when they need help. We can't be on standby 24 hours and we are not prophets,' said Director of Social Welfare Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

'Of course we need to improve our services, but how about the family members?' one social worker told the South China Morning Post.  'It is unfair to blame social workers when a crisis happens. Everyone has a role to play. Have they asked themselves if they have any responsibilities, if they have ever cared about the children and the father?'

An urgent investigation of the case and reporting to the public on ways to avoid other family tragedies has now been put at the top of the department's agenda.

Critics say social workers failed to recognise the dangers when Yip lost a court battle over the custody of his two daughters last Friday. They were due to be placed into the care of their mother, Zhou Fuyun.

Signs of Yip's instability would have been easy to detect, say critics. They say it might have been obvious how upset the father - who had been taking care of the three children since the couple separated three years ago -  would be when he lost custody. Relatives also claim the children were left with Yip despite his history of physically abusing them.

Care workers say it is unrealistic to expect the Government to prevent all such incidents but, at the same time, they call for increased funding to promote an improvement in family relations and to tackle the growing problem of mood disorder.

Nelson Chow Wing-sun, chair professor at the University of Hong Kong social work and social administration department, does not believe the Government should be expected to prevent all family crises.

'People are getting very individualistic, they tend to put all the blame on others when something happens and the Government is an easy target,' he said. 'Even though the Government will increase manpower in family services, I can tell you for sure that similar tragedies will happen if no one really cares about families.'

Professor Chow, who conducted a review of government family services last year, said the growth in social problems, including family and social relations, lies at the root of domestic violence.

This was not helped by the way in which the supportive role of traditional neighbourhoods and extended families, where people helped one another tackle problems, seemed to be fading.

Professor Chow is annoyed that many people have forgotten such obligations. 'Recently, there was a survey about problems facing teenagers in finding their partners and some people asked 'what can the Government do?' It is ridiculous. The only solution to family crisis is that every one of us has to ask ourselves what can we do for our family.'

Chinese University psychologist Professor Lee Shing said overseas studies of homicide-suicide cases showed they were often preceded by signs of potentially dangerous mood disorder. But many people tended to turn a blind eye.  The children reportedly told their mother shortly before their deaths that their father had threatened to 'chop them up'. It was taken as an off-hand remark.

Yip could have suffered from a mood disorder but none of those close to him were able to recognise the risks he posed, said Professor Lee.

'It seems that nobody has really investigated in order to find solutions. Many overseas studies showed signs such as anger, hatred and tiredness appear four to six weeks before homicides happened,' he said.

'Suicides are a public health problem rather than an unavoidable problem. The officials could not come out and say this was an isolated case and the person just did it out of impulse.'

Demand for assessment and treatment of conditions such as mood disorders is rising while the gloomy economy, financial and marital problems added to the stress people were under, he said.

Only 200 or so psychiatrists are practising in Hong Kong and most already have heavy workloads. Patients with relatively minor mood disorders might have to wait between three to nine months at public outpatient clinics, said Professor Lee.

'General practitioners have a greater role to play, they should learn more about mood disorder and function as gatekeepers. [And] the public should stay alert.'

But perhaps more questions need to be asked closer to home. When the dead children's uncle complained about social workers, no-one thought to ask what family members had done to prevent such a tragedy.

Ella Lee is a writer for the Post's News Desk

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A problem close to home