‘Debt-ridden’ father throws son, 7, off Hong Kong shopping centre rooftop before jumping to his death
- Seven-year-old boy was riding on shoulders of his father when the latter threw him and jumped off rooftop of six-storey shopping centre, insider says
- Father and boy found unconscious in alley near Kowloon City Plaza in Carpenter Road; man later certified dead and son in critical condition
A seven-year-old boy was riding on his debt-ridden father’s shoulders before the latter flung him and jumped to his death from the rooftop of a Hong Kong six-storey shopping centre in an attempted murder-suicide, the Post has learned.
The boy, a Primary Two pupil, was in a critical condition as of 10.48am on Tuesday. He is being treated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s intensive care unit, according to a government spokesman.
A source familiar with the case said security camera footage showed the boy riding on his 58-year-old father’s shoulders on the top floor of Kowloon City Plaza’s car park on Carpenter Road before 9pm on Monday.
“Shortly after, the father [carrying his son on his shoulders] walked to the edge of the mall’s rooftop and then threw the boy off the building before jumping off from the rooftop,” the insider said.
Taxi driver Ma Kam-shui and his son were found unconscious with serious injuries by a security guard in an alley next to the shopping centre at around 9.30pm.
Security personnel called emergency services and the boy was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei. The man was taken to Kwong Wah Hospital, also in Yau Ma Tei, and certified dead at 10.17pm.
The source said Ma’s ex-wife, 48, told officers that he had a gambling problem and was in debt. Further investigation revealed he had expressed suicidal thoughts to his friends.
“Following initial investigations, we have not ruled out the possibility the father was addicted to gambling, bore mounting debt and ended up choosing to commit suicide with his son,” Chief Inspector Law Chin-hon of the Kowloon City district crime unit said.
Investigators cordoned off the site and were examining the scene on Monday night.
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Police said no suicide note had been found. A Kowloon City district investigation team is handling the case.
A Social Welfare Department spokesman said the family was not a case being handled by a social worker. However, the department said it was deeply concerned about the case and had arranged for social workers to contact the family and provide appropriate help.
The department urged people not to engage in any actions that might harm their children, regardless of the challenges or stress they might be experiencing.
If individuals or their families encountered difficulties, they could seek help from social workers at its service centres or call its hotline at 2343 2255, it said.
