Girl, 15, dies in fall from Repulse Bay tower; parents arrested for ‘ill-treatment’

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who jumped to her death from a luxury apartment building in Repulse Bay today were arrested on suspicion of ill-treating their two daughters.

The arrests of the girl’s British father, 57, and Filipino mother, 53, were made after police investigating the death of the teenager discovered that the two sisters had never gone to school.

“The two girls did not go to school since they were born in Hong Kong. Investigations showed they only went to a private tutorial centre to study,” a police source said.

Crime-squad officers are still investigating why their parents did not apply for the necessary documents for the girls or send them to school.

It is understood that the younger sister is now being taken care of by friends of her father.

The daughter’s father, Nick Cousins, 57, is understood to be the managing director of Jardine Lloyd Thompson, one of the city’s largest insurance brokers.

A LinkedIn account with the same name says Cousins has been with the London-based company since September 1994. The photo on the Linkedin account is the same as the one appeared on the insurance company’s official website.

In its official website, the company describes itself as having a presence of more than 150 years in Hong Kong, and offers “a full range of insurance and reinsurance intermediary services complemented by risk management consultancy services”.

Among others, aviation, business interruption, terrorism and political risks are described as the specialist areas of the company.

Their mother came to Hong Kong from the Philippines to work as a domestic helper in 1990 before meeting Cousins socially, and becoming his cohabitant in 1994, according to the source.

The source said the mother was also arrested for overstaying her travel document. Police also arrested the father on suspicion of helping her to overstay.

“The woman delivered her two daughters in 1999 and 2000 in a private hospital,” the source said. “Initial investigations indicated their parents did not help them to get a birth certificate or travel document.”

A current colleague of Cousins at JLT has confirmed he is aware that Cousins have two daughters, but declined to make any further comment.

The JLT management in London, Hong Kong and Singapore on Tuesday night did not immediately respond to the Post’s written requests and calls for comment.

Their plights were revealed after the eldest daughter fell from their luxury apartment at 3 Repulse Bay before dawn today.

Investigation showed the teenager was watching television in the master bedroom while her parents were watching a film in the living room, according to police.

The girl fell from the window as her parents tried to unlock the door, the source added.

Police received a report from a security guard who heard a loud bang and then found the girl lying unconscious on the podium of the building.

A police spokeswoman said the girl was declared dead by paramedics at the scene.

She said it was alleged the girl had been unhappy, but she failed to give further details. No suicide note was found at the scene, according to police.

“There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the girl,” the spokeswoman said.

Detectives from Western police district are investigating.

The price of a mid-level, 1,741 square foot flat at 3 Repulse Bay was about HK$92 million, according to an estimate by property agency Centaline.