A female teenager died after “falling from a height” shortly after midnight yesterday, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said in a statement, noting that no criminally induced injuries were found on the victim.
In response to the Post’s enquires by email, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) identified the victim as a student, underlining that it is coordinating with the school and the respective counselling entity to provide the necessary support to the victim’s family, while activating crisis management procedures and arranging its officials to provide support to the school and coordinate with the relevant entities in providing assistance to those in need.
The Judiciary Police were notified by the Fire Services Bureau (CB) of the death. The PJ statement quoted family members of the local victim as saying that at about 12:13 a.m. yesterday they found the window of the victim’s bedroom open, after which they discovered that the victim had jumped from the window and was lying in front of the building on Rua de Cantão in Zape.
Upon examination of the body, the injuries the victim suffered were consistent with a fall from a height, the statement said, adding that the exact cause of death had yet to be determined until a forensic examination is carried out.
The case has initially been classified as a dead body found, the statement noted.
In the DSEDJ statement, students and young people are urged to seek help from trusted adults such as parents, teachers and student counsellors as soon as possible when they encounter difficulties or emotional distress, and to call the DSEDJ Educational Psychological Counselling and Special Education Centre on 2840 1010, the Social Welfare Bureau’s (IAS) 24-hour Counselling Hotline on 2826 1126, and Caritas Macau’s 24-hour Lifeline at 2852 5222.
Both the Judiciary Police and Education and Youth Development Bureau refrained from revealing the victim’s exact age and surname. While the Judiciary Police described the victim as a teenager, the bureau expressed its sadness about the death of a student.
22 suicides, 52 attempted suicides recorded in Q1: Wong
Meanwhile, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak noted on Tuesday that 22 suicides were recorded in the first three months this year - 12 males and 10 females. Five of the victims were aged between 65 and 74, four were aged between 35 and 44, four were aged between 45 and 54, three were aged between 15 and 24 years, and another three were aged between 55 and 64. There were no suicide victims younger than 15, Wong said during Monday’s press conference at S. Francisco Barracks about Macau’s 2024 first-quarter public security statistics.
According to Wong, the number of attempted suicide cases recorded in the first quarter of this year stood at 52, comprising 20 males and 32 females, with more than half of them young people. Wong pointed out that among them, 15 were in the 25-34 age group, 14 in the 15-24 age group, and three in the 5-14 age group. Wong said that the attempted suicides were mainly associated with drug use and many of the cases involved attempting to jump from a building and cutting one’s wrist.
In addition, according to a statement by the Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday, of the 22 suicides recorded in the first quarter of this year, 12 were males and 10 were females, aged between 17 and 75. Just one of the suicide victims was a non-local resident, while 21 were local residents.
Quarter on quarter, the number of suicides fell by four cases. Year on year, the number was down by one case.
The statement said that the causes of the suicides recorded may be related to mental, chronic or physical illness.
The Health Bureau appealed in the statement to anyone who is emotionally disturbed or feeling hopeless to call the Caritas Life Hotline on 2852 5222 directly for emotional counselling services, or visit the bureau’s Mental Health Information Website at https://www.ssm.gov.mo/apps1/mentalhealth/ch.aspx#clg28356 for more information on mental health.
The poster urges foreigners who are emotionally disturbed or feeling hopeless to seek counselling by calling the Caritas Macau Expat Life Hope Hotline 2852 5777.
