History of depression and custody in Singapore- how does depression affect custody in Singapore?
Wang Chan Foo was suffering from depression. He had a history of depression for over a year. In 2016, he killed his wife, Ng, before taking his own life.
On 22 March 2017, State Coroner Marvin Bay delivered his findings. He found that the double deaths were committed by Wang for unknown reasons.
Wang had been separated from his wife since 2012, even though they were living under the same roof. The couple had 2 children, aged 13 and 7.
The deaths happened on a Saturday. On that fateful day, the children were attending tuition classes at Velocity Mall. When their mother failed to pick them up after class, Wang told the children to go home by themselves.
The children witnessed Wang committing suicide. The police arrived at 7pm on that day and saw Wang squatting on a balcony ledge in a daze. He fell off at 7:12pm and was pronounced dead.
Wang's wife was found dead with 8 stab wounds over her body, with a 14 cm wound on her chest.
Wang had left a death note for his children, asking them to "listen to mum".
The couple married in 2003 and Wang began to show violent tendencies 3 years later. Ng sought help from a Family Service Centre but did not proceed to take up a personal protection order as she was concerned about how Wang would react.
It is important to note that the welfare of the child is of paramount importance. A parent who is suffering from major depressive disorder may not be suited to care for the child.
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