A 40-year-old man in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) died yesterday after allegedly murdering two of his children and attempting to kill a third before taking his own life.
Two of the children, a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, were pronounced dead at the scene, while his 16-year-old daughter was rushed to hospital with severe lacerations to her neck, police said.
Police said investigations are ongoing, but initial reports indicate financial problems and emotional instability as the cause.
A letter from the man, surnamed Chang (張), found at the scene referred to Chang’s wife as a “despicable woman,” police said.
Chang is suspected to have attacked the children out of the belief that his wife was being unfaithful, police said, adding that the two children died of multiple lacerations to their necks.
The elder daughter was in a stable condition, police said.
She is unable to speak due to her injuries and is communicating with police by typing on her phone, they said.
She indicated that her father spoke to her and her siblings on Saturday, saying: “I want to leave and take you guys with me,” police said.
She said that she now understands that this meant he wanted to kill the children and himself.
Neighbors reported that the couple had had several arguments recently, police said, adding that preliminary investigations showed the couple were divorced before the Lunar New Year.
Police said they have contacted Chang’s ex-wife, who was on her way back to Taipei from Hualien.
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