A 14-year-old girl died after falling from a residential building in central Macao last Friday, according to Judiciary Police (PJ).
The teenager, surnamed Si, was rushed to hospital from Rua de Nagasaki where her body was found, but was later confirmed dead, said PJ spokesman Ho Chan Nam.
Ho stated that Si, a secondary school pupil, lived with her family. At about 7:20 am on Friday, the girl’s mother went to tell her to get up but discovered that she was not in the bedroom. She found that the window grilles in the room were open and told her husband. Later, the girl’s father found his daughter lying on the flowerbeds outside the building and called the police for help.
According to a preliminary examination of the body, no suspicious or criminal injuries were found on the deceased, except for injuries that were consistent with falling from a height. A suicide note was found in the home, according to the PJ.
The cause of death has yet to be determined by a forensic examination.
The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) issued a statement on Friday expressing its condolences and promising to support the bereaved family.
The DSEJ sent supervisors to Si’s school to coordinate counselling and follow-up work, hoping to reduce the impact of the incident on teachers and pupils, according to the statement.
Pupils were urged to confide in and ask for help from those they trust or professional counsellors when encountering emotional distress or difficulties.
Any teachers or pupils in need of help can contact their school counsellor or call the bureau’s Educational Psychological Counselling and Special Education Centre on 2840 1010.
People contemplating suicide, or anyone suspecting that a person is at risk of suicide, may also phone Caritas Macau’s Life Hope Hotline (2852 5222) or the Social Welfare Bureau’s (IAS) 24-hour Counselling Hotline (2826 1126).
(The Macau Post Daily/Macao News)
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