Remanded street sleeper who alleged police abuse died in rare case of self-strangulation, Hong Kong court inquest finds
- Five-member jury returns unanimous verdict of death by suicide in the case of Le Van Muoi
- CCTV footage shows 54-year-old tying knot around his neck with his trousers at Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre
A street sleeper who accused police of abuse died in a rare case of self-strangulation while on remand in a Hong Kong psychiatric institution for prisoners three years ago, an inquest jury decided on Friday.
The five-member Coroner’s Court jury on Friday returned a unanimous verdict of death by suicide in the case of Le Van Muoi after CCTV footage showed the 54-year-old tying his trousers in a knot around his neck while he was in the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre in Tuen Mun on October 8, 2020.
The homeless man, originally from Vietnam, was among street sleepers who had complained of rough treatment by police earlier that year at the Tung Chau Street Park in Sham Shui Po, where he had camped out for almost two decades.
The jury also found the centre did not have enough guards to monitor inmates at risk of self-harming and that officers’ reliance on CCTV footage had also contributed to their inability to detect problems.
The panel asked the Correctional Services Department to step up surveillance on inmates who needed special psychiatric attention.