A Hong Kong father has been arrested on suspicion of feeding his 11‑year‑old daughter a sweet drink laced with rat poison, after consuming it himself in their Wong Tai Sin home.
Police said the 48‑year‑old man allegedly added rat poison to longan honey before serving the drink to his daughter on Sunday night at their flat in Toi Fung House at Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill.
The girl’s 71‑year‑old grandmother first noticed the man vomiting in the bathroom, a police source said.
About an hour later, she saw him serve several cups of the sweet drink to the child. Noticing reddish powder in the kitchen, she suspected it to be rat poison typically placed in the building’s stairwell.
The girl’s grandfather, who also lives in the flat, reported the incident to police at about 9pm.
Both the father and the girl were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, where they were conscious and in a stable condition.
Sources said the man was diagnosed with schizophrenia around 2020 but had refused follow‑up treatment until resuming consultations two months ago. He reportedly divorced his wife in 2022 and had since lived with his daughter at his parents’ home.
A suicide note was also found at the scene, in which the man urged his daughter never to travel abroad and to remain in Hong Kong.
The district crime squad is investigating the case.
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. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
