A 52-year-old domestic helper is in police custody in Hong Kong on suspicion of murder following the death of a 93-year-old woman she had been caring for full time at a public housing flat in Kai Tak.
The woman, surnamed Kwan, was found unresponsive on Sunday morning at her home in Long Yiu House, part of Tak Long Estate. Police said the helper approached the building’s security staff at about 8:20 a.m. and told them the woman needed an ambulance.
Paramedics gave Kwan emergency treatment at the flat before taking her to hospital. She was pronounced dead at 9:12 a.m.
According to police accounts reported by the South China Morning Post, investigators later reviewed security camera footage that allegedly showed the helper assaulting Kwan several times in the minutes before she was found. Police alleged the helper struck the woman about 20 times on the head, face and neck with her hands between 8:03 a.m. and 8:10 a.m., and stepped on her abdomen while moving her.
By 8:10 a.m., the footage showed Kwan lying still on her bed, police said. The helper then allegedly tried to rouse her by giving her water and patting her lightly before going downstairs to seek help.
Arrest and Ongoing Investigation
Officers arrested the helper at the flat at about 3:50 a.m. on Monday.
Speaking on Monday, Terry Wan King-hang, acting deputy district commander for Sau Mau Ping, said preliminary inquiries suggested friction had developed between the two over time, possibly linked to the strain of overwork. He added that footage gathered by police indicated minor assaults had taken place intermittently each day for roughly the past two weeks.
An initial examination found no obvious fatal injuries. Officers also found no signs of a struggle or ransacking inside the 150-square-foot unit, which is designated as a one-person flat.
A preliminary examination by a forensic pathologist found bruises on Kwan’s chest, lower abdomen, the right side of her abdomen and her right jaw, along with cuts on the left side of her neck. An autopsy and further forensic tests will determine the exact cause of death.
A Life Shaped by Long-Term Illness
Police said Kwan had lived with several chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. She was diagnosed with colorectal cancer 17 years ago and had a stroke more than two years ago, which left her needing long-term medication and regular medical follow-ups.
Kwan had no children, and her husband died of an illness more than 30 years ago, Wan said. He noted that the Social Welfare Department had also visited her regularly.
Her relatives arranged for the helper to provide round-the-clock care in late 2022, and the worker formally started the job in January 2023.
The suspect remains in custody as the Sau Mau Ping district crime squad continues its investigation.