Elderly Hong Kong couple die in suspected suicide pact over Parkinson’s diagnosis

Hong Kong police are investigating a suspected suicide pact after an elderly couple were found dead in a public housing flat on Sunday, following the woman’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.

Police received a report at 2.39pm on Sunday that a man and a woman had been found unconscious inside a flat at King Wing House in Shan King Estate in Tuen Mun.

A tray of burnt charcoal was found at the scene.

The couple, a 72-year-old man surnamed Cheung and a 69-year-old woman surnamed Tse, were rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital where they were later pronounced dead.

The case was classified as a suspected suicide pact and was being investigated by the Tuen Mun district criminal investigation team.

A source said the couple had been in a relationship for 50 years and lived together in the flat. They were not married but had a daughter. Tse had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

It was understood that the daughter was told by a friend of her mother that repeated phone calls and knocks on the door had gone unanswered, although the phone could be heard ringing inside the flat.

Concerned for her parents’ safety, the daughter went to the flat and opened the door with her key. She found them lying unconscious in the bathroom beside the tray of burnt charcoal and immediately called police.

When emergency responders arrived, the man displayed no signs of life, while the woman still had a weak pulse and shallow breathing. Both were taken to hospital for emergency treatment but were later pronounced dead.

Police recovered a suicide note inside the flat and noted no signs of a struggle or fight at the scene.

Initial investigations suggest the couple entered into the pact because they were unable to bear the suffering caused by Tse’s illness.

The exact cause of death has yet to be confirmed by an autopsy.

If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline.

You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.