The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) Tuesday urged the government to improve social assistance in new town districts in response to a domestic violence case in Tin Shui Wai that resulted in the deaths of a woman and her two daughters.

"This tragedy is only the tip of the iceberg in the Tin Shui Wai district where family disputes are rife among a high concentration of new immigrant families. The government must allocate more resources to enhance social services in new town areas," DAB district councillor Michael Luk Chung-hung told reporters at a press meeting.

Luk warned that the district is in danger of becoming a breeding ground for social problems, with a rapidly growing population and a lack of community service facilities.

"There are growing numbers of low-income families living in the district's public-housing estates, where unemployment is widespread and family disputes frequently occur," said Yuen Long district councillor Leung Che-cheung. "The government should focus efforts to help new immigrant families to become more integrated with the community, and increase the number of community centres and social workers in the area."

There are only three family service centres in the Tin Shui Wai district, with about 30 social workers, Luk noted.

He said Kam Shuk-ying, who was stabbed to death with her two daughters, had previously sought help from social workers and the police.

Luk said after he referred the case to the Social Welfare Department, Kam and her daughters were moved to a women's shelter in February. But they returned home a week later at the request of the victim's husband.

The police received a call from Kam's husband on Sunday night. They broke into their flat in Tin Shui Wai and found him lying next to the bodies of his wife and daughters.

Kam's husband claimed his wife had already killed their daughters when he returned home. He said he was injured in the struggle before his wife committed suicide. Police have classified the case as murder.

Meanwhile, social welfare chief Paul Tang denied that the department had taken the case too lightly, and added that the murders were not the result of insufficient resources in the district.

"I am saddened by the tragedy. The department has been following the case closely since the victim sought help in February," Tang said.

He said the government will continue to improve social services in the district and increase the number of community centres.

The Social Welfare Department will review the case to determine if further improvements should be made to the existing assessment mechanism for domestic violence cases, Tang added.

Responding to queries about the murders, a police spokesman said the victim had made two reports prior to the tragedy. One of them concerned an allegation of indecent assault in February, which involved the woman's daughters.

The victim also alerted the authorities in April, and alleged that her husband had assaulted her. She later withdrew the charge.

"These are the only two formal reports made by the victim. There is absolutely no truth in the claim that the police took no action after receiving the call for assistance from the woman eight hours before the incident on April 11," said the spokesman.

All frontline police officers have been reminded to show sensitivity when dealing with domestic violence cases and to treat them seriously, he added.

Investigation is still proceeding, while no one has been arrested in connection with the case.

(China Daily HK Edition April 14, 2004)