A Hong Kong secondary school stands accused of downplaying a bullying case that allegedly led to a student suicide in February. The bereaved family of the 16-year-old urged the education authorities to look into school bullying and prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
During a press conference on Thursday, the family alleged that a classmate of their son had bullied the Form Four student, surnamed Sze, by cutting his uniform with scissors, falsely accusing him of having autism, and demanding money from him. The incidents were said to have continued since both were in primary school.
Sze’s mother made a complaint to the primary school when she realised the uniform was ripped, but decided to not call the police after the classmate apologised to her son.
The two students were later admitted to the same secondary school, the Hong Kong Chinese Women’s Club Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School.
On February 14, 2023, Sze told his mother that the classmate who bullied him before had suggested to the other students that Sze should be expelled because of autism, the student’s mother recalled. Mrs. Sze then sent messages to Sze’s teacher at around 7 p.m. that evening to discuss the issue.
However, at around 9 p.m. that evening, a security guard called the police as the body of Sze was found near Ming Yiu House in Sha Tin. He was confirmed dead at the scene, with no suicide note found, according to the police.
“His death has torn apart the hearts of his parents, and of his grandpa, too. Sze’s grandpa had a stroke due to a fall after he heard the news. He has passed away as well, “ his parents said, adding that the series of disheartening events was a heavy blow.
School was indifferent, parents say
The family said no follow-up investigation or disciplinary hearing was launched regarding the bullying claims. The alleged bully was left unpunished, they added.
“We strongly condemn the school for handling this bullying case with indifference, and we demand an apology from the school, the bully and the bully’s parents,” Sze’s family said.
They also urged the Education Bureau and the government to take bullying issues seriously in order to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
The secondary school issued a statement on Thursday, expressing their condolences over the student’s death. It claimed that, while the school has been maintaining good communication with the parents, it never received any bullying complaint from the family until the night of the tragedy.
The teacher who received the complaint on the night in question immediately promised to investigate and provide counselling for the student, whilst they told the parents that the school had a zero tolerance stance towards bullying, the statement read.
“The school will provide appropriate emotional support and counselling service to its students, and we will overcome this challenging time together,“ the school said.
The Education Bureau said in a reply to HKFP that it would be inappropriate for the bureau to comment on individual cases as the police have begun an investigation. However, it added that the school immediately deployed a taskforce to follow up on the incident, while arranging for an educational psychologist and social workers to support students in need.
The education authorities also stated that it has implemented multiple policies to prevent and address bullying in schools. These policies include activities aimed at cultivating positive values and empathy in students.
In its reply to HKFP, the police said no evidence so far has proven that the case involved any criminal offence.
However, the force said they have been taking the case very seriously and conducting a thorough investigation: “Once the investigation is complete, the police will submit the investigation report to the Coroner’s Court… for the Coroner to consider and determine whether an inquest should be held.”
| 💡If you are in need of support, please call: The Samaritans 2896 0000 (24-hour, multilingual), Suicide Prevention Centre 2382 0000 or the government mental health hotline on 18111. The Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology provides a WhatsApp hotline in English and Chinese: 6218 1084. See also: HKFP’s comprehensive guide to mental health services in Hong Kong. |
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