Fears of copycat incidents after family tragedies left two Hong Kong children dead and another brain damaged

The head clinical psychologist at the Social Welfare Department has raised concerns that two recent family tragedies that left two children dead and another brain damaged could trigger copycat incidents, and he urged any troubled Hongkongers to reach out and ask for help.

The plea by Helios Lau Kar-cho comes in the wake of two tragedies involving children that shocked the city.

On Saturday an eight-year-old boy was found dead alongside his brother and father in a murder-suicide in Ma On Shan. Separately, a seven-year-old girl has been in intensive care since mid-July with her parents suspected of abuse that left her malnourished and brain damaged.

"In society there has been a lot more negativity in the past two years ... There seems to be more of these cases recently, and we worry they could trigger copycat incidents," said the clinical psychologist.

Sources said the two boys found dead in the Ma On Shan flat had been fed rat poison, and the father later burned charcoal to kill himself and the younger son - who had survived the poisoning. The father, Chan Chun-hing, had separated from his wife, his business had failed and he had suffered a stroke which left him partially disabled.

Lau said he hoped anybody with similar family problems would not be led into thinking suicide was a way out.