A dramatic crisis ended in a murder-suicide on October 22, 2016, according to Channel News Asia. The causes of the two deaths have been recently confirmed by the coroner’s report. The sad situation draws attention to the need for early detection and prompt treatment for mental health issues.

A History of Abuse

Forty-six-year-old Wang Chan Foo, also called Ongko Widjojo, was a husband and father to two children, ages 13 and 7. There had been complaints of domestic abuse in the home previously, including a report from the wife. In 2011, she went to a Family Service Centre to report physical and verbal abuse that had been ongoing since 2006. She also told the care worker that her husband threw all the children’s books from the window of the flat. According to the daughter, Mr. Wang used to throw things at his wife when the couple argued. He would punish the children physically in fits of anger.
After more instances of physical abuse, which left bruises, Mr. Wang’s wife initiated a separation from her husband in 2012. She took the children with her.

A Fateful Reunion

At the time of her death, the woman was living with her two kids in Toa Payoh. They met with Mr. Wang at their Novena Suites unit each weekend because of the children’s tuition classes.
On the evening of October 22, 2016, Mr. Wang told the children to wait for him in the lift lobby while he spoke with their mother. After waiting for three hours, the daughter finally contacted police in tears. The police entered the family unit and discovered that the 44-year-old mother had died from several stab wounds.

On the roof of the building, Mr. Wang stood at the edge. In spite of the efforts of a crisis negotiation team and a group of police officers, the man leaned forward and fell to his death at 7:12 p.m.

The Cause of the Crisis

In the family unit, investigators also found notes written by Mr. Wang to his children, apparently before he killed her. The notes directed the children to “listen to your mother” in the event that “Papa is no longer around,” indicating that although he planned to kill himself, he did not originally plan to kill his wife.

According to further investigation by police, Mr. Wang was dealing with terrible insomnia and deep depression. A month before the murder-suicide, he overdosed on red wine and sleeping pills and was sent to a hospital. A note that he wrote to his sister at that time reveals his despair and his wish for death.

Getting Help Before It’s Too Late

Do you sometimes feel irrationally angry or deeply sad and hopeless? Do you know someone who has been repeatedly abusive to others? Don’t wait until the situation turns tragic. Seek help today from a professional psychiatrist in Singapore. The mental health care team at Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic is ready to offer help and hope, along with effective treatments and holistic therapies. Call us today to get help with a mental health care crisis in your family!

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Source: Channel News Asia, March 22, 2017