Classmate of Hong Kong teen found dead at sea recalls odd behaviour on their final day together
- Student Chiu Kwan-yi struck up a friendship with Chan Yin-lam at the start of their term at the Hong Kong Design Institute
- She tells an inquest into the teen’s death her friend seemed happy at first but acted strangely the last time she saw her
A 15-year-old girl found dead at sea in Hong Kong last September had packed her belongings at home and cleared her school locker the day before she disappeared, her classmate told an inquest on Thursday.
Student Chiu Kwan-yi testified at the Coroner’s Court about her experience with Chan Yin-lam on September 19, 2019, the last day she was seen alive before her body was discovered off the waters of Tseung Kwan O three days later.
Chan had a troubled past and had been sent to a juvenile facility six times since 2017. She was diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, a condition marked by irritability and argumentative behaviour. But she enrolled in the Hong Kong Design Institute on her own initiative and began classes last September, reportedly enjoying campus life.
Chiu, 18, said she first met Chan on September 16. Despite spending only four days together, they bonded over their shared experiences at juvenile homes.
While Chan, who had taken part in anti-government protests last year, appeared to be an ordinary, cheerful girl among her peers in the first three days, she exhibited abnormal behaviour the following day, the inquest heard.
Chan returned to school at 11am that morning and took a classmate’s schoolbag to use as a pillow to sleep on a classroom floor. She got up 10 minutes later after repeated urgings by the teacher and other classmates.