Woman found dead with baby showed no signs of suicidal thoughts, but help always available, coroner stresses
The coroner stressed that help will "always be available" for people with suicidal ideations, whether from family, friends, medical practitioners or organisations like the Samaritans of Singapore.
by Lydia Lam · CNA · JoinWarning: This story contains references to suicide.
SINGAPORE: There were no signs that a 33-year-old woman was harbouring suicidal thoughts, with her postnatal emotional screening after the birth of her daughter noting her to be "not at risk of postnatal depression".
However, when her husband was out with their older son in November 2023, the woman dropped her one-year-old daughter from their Housing and Development Board (HDB) block before falling to her own death.
A coroner ruled the woman's death a suicide and her daughter's death an unlawful killing, in a set of written findings made available on Friday (Sep 27).
In his verdict, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said it may "never be fully understood" why the mother decided to take her life and her daughter's.
"Police investigations did not uncover any suicide notes or letters written by the mother. One can only speculate that she was subject to overwhelming stresses and possibly undiagnosed psychiatric illnesses that led her to feel that she had no other choice but to take the drastic measures she took," he said.
"Sadly, in the present case there would appear to have been no indication that the mother harboured suicidal ideations."
He stressed that help will "always be available" for people with suicidal ideations, whether from family, friends, medical practitioners or organisations like the Samaritans of Singapore.
"The SOS have a helpline manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week or they can be contacted by WhatsApp or by email," said the coroner.
THE CASE
At the opening of the inquiry, the coroner had imposed a gag order on all the parties involved as the late mother has a surviving son with her husband.
The gag order extends to the family's address.
The mother lived in a flat with her husband and their two children.
The woman's husband said he was unaware whether she had any mental illness.
However, he noted that she had a "sudden outburst of temper" after giving birth to their son, which was different from her normal self.
He thought that she had "mild postnatal issue" for two years after their son's birth.
The woman worked at a hospital until 2019, then switched to part-time work in the same line in 2023. She appeared happy when she first started, said the man.
In June 2023, she told her husband that she felt that she was not helping her clients, and that she felt guilty because her employer was paying well.
She had told some clients not to sign up for further packages with her, but they signed up anyway, which made her feel more guilty, her husband said.
In August 2023, the man noticed that his wife's stress "was no longer healthy".
He told her that she could take a break from work, as they had sufficient savings. She agreed and remained at home to take care of their two kids, rejecting a job offer from another company in October.
After their daughter's one-year check up at a polyclinic on Aug 10, 2023, the woman told her husband that their daughter was under-developed, as she was underweight.
He replied that he had been the same as a child, but this did not stop the mother from worrying about their daughter.
Her husband started to help with their daughter's feeds and noticed that his wife's mood improved.
However, a week later, he noticed that her mood "deepened again", and that she would lie on her bed with their daughter and not do anything.
Her mood improved again a week later according to his observations, and she was back to her "cheerful self".
The woman's mother noticed that she had become more irritable after the birth of her daughter, but said no suicidal ideation was expressed.
While the woman's mother felt she could be slightly depressed, there was nothing amiss or odd with her in the months leading up to the deaths.
The woman's father said there was no indication of suicidal intention or delirium before the deaths. The woman had not shared with him any significant issues that were bothering her.
THE DAY OF THE DEATHS
On the morning of Nov 5, 2023, the woman's husband left the house with their son. The woman had stated that she was not feeling well, and that their daughter had a flu.
Father and son left the flat at about 10.30am. On the way, the man texted his wife to say their son had dropped his water bottle onto the train rail.
She did not reply.
At about 12.35pm, the woman dropped her daughter from their block of flats before following suit.
A neighbour hanging clothes out to dry called the police, and the mother and daughter were pronounced dead at the foot of the block at around 1pm that same day.
When the woman's husband returned home at about 1.40pm, he noticed the police cordon and could not find his wife or daughter at home.
He saw that his wife's phone was still charging, and that her purse was in the kitchen.
He dashed out of the flat and went to the ground floor where he asked the police if there were two bodies.
The police showed him photos, asking him to identify the adult woman, and he confirmed it was his wife.
The pair died of multiple injuries.
The woman had no history of chronic illnesses, and had never been diagnosed with any psychiatric conditions.
Her family members said she had never had suicidal ideations, and that they did not observe her to be depressed in the period immediately before the incident.
However, the coroner said there was "some evidence" that the woman had either experienced psychiatric or psychological issues in the past, or was "subject to other personal stresses".
He noted that the daughter was recorded to weigh 7kg on autopsy, and it was possible she had not put on much weight in the three months or so since the last appointment.
"If the mother was experiencing stress of one form or another, it would appear that she neither articulated nor demonstrated this stress to her family members," he said.
He conveyed his sincere condolences to the family of the mother and daughter on their tragic loss.
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