Girl murders parents because of ‘genetic’ eczema condition

Hong Kong police believe a daughter’s killing of her parents, before taking her own life, was motivated by her eczema.

Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become red, inflamed, itchy, crusty and sometimes blistering and weeping.

Drop-out nurse Pang Ching-yu (23) stabbed both her parents before gassing herself on Sunday. Her father (60) was stabbed in the chest and her mother (56) in her chest, waist and legs.

Police found a 30cm knife found alongside her parents’ bodies and a suicide note in her bedroom saying she was tormented by long-term eczema.

They also discovered a post online saying: “People with eczema giving birth to kids are worse than poor people giving birth to kids. If you’re poor, you can rely on your own hard work. With eczema, sorry you have to suffer ([your whole life] – it can’t change.”

Another post mentioned that the treatment she was receiving for her eczema was having uncomfortable side effects, that she had no social life because of it and that waiting to die was all that remained.

She did not want to go out and hid in her bedroom, Hong Kong’s The Standard reports.

Police found the bodies after relatives raised the alarm when no one answered the front door at the  flat where the family stayed.

The National Eczema Association of America describes eczema as very common, adding that in many cases it is manageable.

The condition can range from mild to severe and living with it can be an ongoing challenge.

The exact cause is not known, but people who develop it do so because of a combination of genes and environmental triggers, the Association says.

According to The Standard, research also shows eczema can be associated with anxiety and depression.

– AFP