A view of a street in Hong Kong on April 1, 2023. Photo: VCG

A court in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Sunday adjourned the widely discussed case of a man, who fatally stabbed two women in a mall, until June 19, pending psychiatric reports.

The horrific stabbing on Friday afternoon caused the deaths of two women aged 26 and 22. The stabber Szeto Sing-kwong, 39, is believed to be suffering from a serious mental disorder, judging by his reaction after stabbing two strangers, which was captured by CCTV cameras. 

Szeto, charged with murdering the two women, appeared before a magistrate on Monday morning. The case was later adjourned to June 19 pending psychiatric reports of the defendant to determine whether he is fit to enter a plea, according to Hong Kong media outlets. 

The defense did not apply for bail for Szeto. He was remanded to a psychiatric center. 

On Saturday, commenting on the tragedy, the city's Chief Executive John Lee vowed to step up efforts to enhance Hong Kong's healthcare for mentally disordered residents. 

Lee said that the city's health authorities would call a meeting as soon as possible to explore more comprehensive ways to deal with mental health issues in the city, and the social welfare department would strengthen community support services for mental wellness. 

The case has sparked extensive public debate in the city. Many have expressed concern that such random and vicious cases are occurring and that Hong Kong's traditionally excellent social safety system may no longer be as trustworthy, and they urged better healthcare for the mentally ill and better protection for the public.

The case sheds light on the need for Hong Kong to pay attention to the mental health of its residents in urban development, Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan affairs from Nankai University, told the Global Times on Monday.

In the highly urbanized process of contemporary cities, the government needs to care about many factors other than the quality of life of residents, including their satisfaction, happiness and sense of access, in order to provide society with more favorable atmosphere and make it free from fear, he said.

Hong Kong has long been considered as one of the safest cities to live in. The last time the city saw a case of murder by a mentally disordered attacker was 13 years ago.

Hong Kong is still a safe city, Li said, noting that mental health issues are common to the world's metropolises. "After this case, the government will focus more on this area, including increasing the community's cultural development and greater support for citizens' mental health."

Eric Chen Yu-hai, a psychiatry professor at Hong Kong University, was quoted by Hong Kong media outlet Ming Pao as saying that the case has revealed the serious shortage of mental health services in Hong Kong and a mismatch of resources. 

Chen pointed out that the city's report published in 2017 highlighted the serious shortages of services involving doctors, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists. Although the situation has partially improved since then, healthcare is still insufficient.

He urged the authorities to vigorously promote public-private partnerships in mental healthcare, which he believed would help improve the situation in the short term.

Hong Kong has long been considered as one of the safest cities to live in. The last time the city saw a case of murder by a mentally disordered attacker was 13 years ago.

Some scholars also called against stigmatization, discrimination or phobia about the mentally disordered. The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists said in a statement on Saturday that individuals with severe mental illnesses with violent tendencies are a minority, and that serious attacks on strangers are very rare.

"Any misunderstanding would only worsen their conditions, increasing their risk of relapses, and deter them from seeking timely treatment," the college said in the statement.

Global Times