THE Filipino mother of a teenager who fell to her death from the 21st story of a Hong Kong apartment was released on bail Thursday, April 9, after being charged with neglect, Agence France-Presse reported.
The woman was identified as Herminia Garcia, 53, by the news agency. Garcia and her partner Nick Cousins, 57, a British businessman who serves as managing director of London-based insurance multinational Jardine Lloyd Thompson, was also arrested following the fall of their 15-year-old daughter.
Police said there was “no suspicious element” to the incident, but detained Garcia and Cousins on suspicion of “ill-treatment or neglect of a child or a young person.”
Garcia was also charged for overstaying her visa, and authorities are investigating Cousins for aiding or abetting the overstay, according to the news agency. Cousins has not yet been charged for any offense.
Garcia was granted HK$100,000 cash bail (or $12,900 USD) with an additional HK$100,000 provided by a friend.
Garcia’s treatment of her younger 14-year-old daughter was likely to cause “unnecessary suffering,” according to the charge sheet.
Further details on the Filipina’s neglect charge were not disclosed.
ABS-CBN News reported that the daughters of Garcia and Cousins had no identity documents and never attended school, although they were privately tutored.
Christopher Morley, Garcia’s attorney, countered such reports and said the girls had “received a proper education” at what he described as a learning center, according to Agence France-Press.
Garcia’s daughter fell from the apartment block in Repulse Bay on the morning of April 7.
Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene after a security guard heard a loud noise the 15-year-old was found lying on the ground.
“We learned that the subject was probably upset about some daily life issues,” a police spokesman said.
Morley, however, told the court that Garcia lead a “happy normal life with her de facto husband” prior to their her daughter’s death, which led to the “unravelling situation” for the family, according to Agence France-Press.
Morley requested Garcia be released on bail on humanitarian grounds, the news agency reported.
“This lady is grieving from the loss of her beloved daughter. If she is remanded in custody, she will be denied the support of her family,” Morley said.
Garcia is scheduled to reappear in court in June.
(With reports from Agence France-Press and ABS-CBN News)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend April 11-14, 2015 Sec. A pg.12)
