Dead daughter found with mother's corpse

A 53-year-old woman believed to be suffering from mental issues died after she was believed to have lived with the corpse of her 81-year-old mother for days inside their Tuen Mun home yesterday.

Police officers broke into the duo's flat in Siu Hong Court in the afternoon, where they found the unconscious daughter Yip in the bedroom, and the mother, Siu, in the living room.

Sources said that Siu's corpse, which was sitting on the sofa, had started to rot, leading to the police's suspicion that she had passed away days ago and that Yip had not gone out to seek help.

Yip, who was said to have suffered from mental disorders but sought medical help, died later yesterday after being sent to Tuen Mun Hospital.

Police said they found no suicide notes at the scene, and Yip and Siu's causes of death could only be determined after an autopsy.

Earlier, her 56-year-old brother visited the duo at noon, three days after the building's security guard informed him that a foul smell was coming from the flat.

He called the police as no one answered the door.

Neighbors said they had not seen the two out on the streets for a while, adding that the daughter seldom talked to others and that her condition seemed to have worsened in recent years.

Tuen Mun district councilor Josephine Chan Shu-ying said the daughter was unemployed and the flat is owned by the mother.

"I've never heard of them asking for help during the past 20 years," Chan said.

"They didn't even come get the anti-pandemic personal protective gear that we've been offering."

"It seems this was a hidden family, as the mother and daughter never engaged themselves with neighbors."

The issue of the mentally handicapped and their carers has aroused concerns in the city after several family tragedies took place amid the pandemic this year.

One of the cases involved a 46-year-old mother who allegedly strangled her mentally handicapped son, 21, to death in their Kwai Chung flat in September.

In another case last month, a 51-year-old mother suffering from depression died by suicide at home along with her 16-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter, both of whom had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.