Briton, Filipino mother held in HK over teener’s death
HONG KONG—The British father and Filipino mother of a teenager in Hong Kong have been arrested after she plunged to her death from an upmarket apartment block.
Police said there was “no suspicious element” in the 15-year-old girl’s fatal fall, but arrested both her parents on suspicion of “ill-treatment or neglect of a child or a young person” without giving further detail.
The teenager plunged from the 21-story apartment block in Repulse Bay in the early hours of Tuesday morning, police said.
Her father, 58-year-old Nick Cousins, is the managing director of the Hong Kong office of British multinational Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT), one of the world’s leading insurance brokers.
The girl’s mother is a 53-year-old former domestic helper from the Philippines, according to local media.
Cousins has been released on bail while his partner was still in custody Wednesday, police told AFP.
The mother was also accused of overstaying her visa, while Cousins was accused of aiding or abetting the overstay. The couple were not married, police said.
JLT confirmed Cousins had lost his eldest daughter “in tragic circumstances.”
“We are giving Nick our full support through this difficult time and he will be on extended compassionate leave until further notice,” the statement said.
Police said the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene after a security guard heard a loud noise and she was found lying on the ground.
“We learned that the subject was probably upset about some daily life issues,” the spokesperson said in an e-mail to AFP.
Local media reported that she had locked herself in a bathroom before her death.
The South China Morning Post, citing a police source, said the 15-year-old and her younger sister had been educated at a private tutorial center and had never gone to school. Their births had also never been registered, the report said.
It said that their mother had been working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong from 1990 and had begun living with Cousins in 1994. AFP
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please reach out to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). Their crisis hotlines are available at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll-free), 0917-899-USAP (8727), 0966-351-4518, and 0908-639-2672. For more information, visit their website: (https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline)
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