UPDATE: The government has since confirmed that Lam died on July 12, two days after he was hospitalized.
A man who was arrested over the rape of a woman in her Tuen Mun home last month was hospitalized after he attempted to hang himself in prison this morning, the government said.
The suspect, surnamed Lam, was discovered unconscious and hanging in a bathroom by a correctional services officer at 8:01am today, at the maximum security Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre. Lam, 28, used a bedsheet to hang himself from a window frame in the bathroom, according to a Correctional Services Department statement.
The officer administered first aid to Lam before an ambulance arrived to take him to a public hospital for medical treatment. The case has been reported to the police.
A spokesperson for the Correctional Services Department said, “The department uses all possible measures to prevent people in its custody from attempting suicide or self-harm. These measures include administrative arrangements, the improvement of institution facilities, staff training and first aid services.”
In May, the suspect in a high profile rape and robbery case hanged himself with a computer cable at Sau Mau Ping Police Station one day after his arrest, leading to a public outcry. Citizens accused patrol officers of failing to do their job properly and questioned how the man even got his hands on the cable. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Lam was arrested in the early hours of June 12 in connection to a rape case. At the time, police said a man had followed the victim to her apartment, waited outside her door until she attempted to leave, then pushed her back inside and raped her.
Lam was arrested 60 hours after the crime occurred, and was reported by Chinese-language outlets to have been recently released from jail. The 28-year-old is reported to have a criminal record of indecent assault and robbery.
