Hong Kong teen found in waters off Tseung Kwan O suffered from mental disorder but was not suicidal, doctors tell inquest into death
- An act of self-harm that could have been interpreted as a suicide attempt was Chan Yin-lam’s attempt to get out of a juvenile facility, social worker says
- The 15-year-old was found dead at sea last September
A 15-year-old Hong Kong girl found dead at sea last September was suffering from a mental disorder that made her more likely to commit suicide, but there was no evidence to suggest she wished to take her own life, her doctors told an inquest on Tuesday.
The three doctors who examined Chan Yin-lam when she was hospitalised last year following emotional outbursts were testifying on the second day of an 11-day inquest into the death of the design school student, whose body was found in the waters off Tseung Kwan O.
Chan was generally thought of as a smart and cheerful teen by her family and those close to her, the court heard on Monday. Her rebellious phase began after she sprained her foot in Form One, an injury that prevented the self-taught swimmer from continuing her diving hobby.
The Juvenile Court had repeatedly placed her under care or protection orders and sent her to the Tuen Mun Children and Juvenile Home six times since September 2017. On the last of those occasions, the court remanded her to the facility after she was arrested and charged with kicking a policewoman last August.
Her aversion to detention also made her emotionally unstable, on one occasion causing her to pull a plastic bag over her head when she was isolated at the home on March 9, 2019.
