The arrest of a domestic helper over the suspected murder of an elderly woman has dominated Hong Kong headlines, with police investigations revealing that the 93-year-old had been assaulted repeatedly in the hours before her death on Sunday.
Citing surveillance footage, police said on Monday the 52-year-old Indonesian helper hit the widow, surnamed Kwan, on the head, face and neck, stepped on her abdomen and moved her body in a “rough and violent manner”.
The helper appeared to be Kwan’s primary carer. The 93-year-old, who had no children, suffered a stroke more than two years ago and required long-term medication and regular medical checks. The helper was arranged by a relative of Kwan and began work in January 2023.
Preliminary investigations found that friction between the two had built up over time because the helper was overworked, with minor assaults occurring intermittently every day over the past fortnight.
The helper was later charged with murder and appeared in court on Wednesday morning. She remained in custody.
The tragedy has prompted calls to include carers looking after isolated seniors in a government database to strengthen support and monitoring.
Foreign domestic helpers have become key carers amid Hong Kong’s rapidly ageing population, particularly as the government promotes “ageing in place” so elderly residents can remain in familiar surroundings for as long as possible.
While stressing that physical abuse was unacceptable, social welfare observers and a migrant workers’ group said on Tuesday that domestic helpers often shouldered much of the caregiving burden and needed adequate rest and support.
An employer group and an employment agency representative also suggested installing surveillance cameras, regularly reviewing footage and seeking third-party mediation as ways to deter and prevent potential abuse.
Lawmaker Grace Chan Man-yee, who represents the social welfare sector, said the tragedy highlighted the risks faced by domestic workers who served as sole carers for isolated seniors under the same roof.
She urged the government to include such helpers in its database of carers for the elderly and disabled.
Set up in July last year, the database links data from different government departments to build a community support network for carers.
As of the end of last month, community care teams had contacted more than 36,300 high-risk households and made more than 4,200 welfare service referrals.
“Regular home visits, as well as encouraging them to visit community centres, can help ease carers’ pressure and allow a third party to identify potential problems,” she said.
“It is important to note that hiring a domestic helper does not mean that an elderly person no longer needs any social services ... Social services can help release the helpers from their round-the-clock caretaking duties.”
She added that training efforts for domestic helpers should also be stepped up, including caretaking skills, stress management and awareness of abuse and legal consequences.
Dicky Chow Ka-chun, an assistant research director at think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation, echoed calls to include domestic helpers in the database.
He suggested focusing on helpers who acted as primary carers, as well as first-time employers of domestic workers, as both situations could indicate greater care needs.
“This tragedy has shed light on what can make a carer high-risk: when one person shoulders a large share of the caregiving duties. It is not only about households encountering financial difficulties, medical issues or social service needs,” he said.
While acknowledging that the government increasingly recognised the heavier responsibilities placed on domestic helpers, he said authorities should also improve their access to support.
He said support should be provided in the helpers’ mother tongue, with more resources and manpower deployed, including respite care services to give them a break.
Chow also urged the government to strengthen monitoring of its pilot scheme to import foreign carers for elderly people, which is due to be rolled out next year.
The initiative, announced in the latest policy address, will offer accredited helpers a salary 10 to 20 per cent higher than standard rates.
The Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body said it would not comment on individual cases, while noting that the responsibility of caring for the elderly often fell solely on domestic workers, which was “not fair and not easy”.
The group emphasised that caring for a sick, paralysed elderly person single-handedly alongside general household chores was an “immense burden”.
It called for establishing mandatory rest hours for domestic workers and a broader review of the multitasking demands placed on helpers.
Betty Yung Ma Shan-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Employers of Domestic Helpers Association, suggested employers install surveillance cameras and review footage regularly to monitor conditions at home.
She added that family members should remain actively involved and help mediate conflicts.
Speaking on a radio programme, Thomas Chan Tung-fung, chairman of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, advised employers and helpers to turn to agencies for help if tensions arose.
He said agencies would warn helpers involved in physical clashes with employers and report obvious injuries to police, while also helping mediate verbal disputes.
He added that some agencies had translators and staff from the same backgrounds as the helpers, which could help resolve tensions. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
