http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne...20-129989.html
Teen told boyfriend she was worried about
mum
The teenager who was found dead at her home in Woodlands in the wee
hours of Thursday has been described by friends as a "good girl"
and fillial daughter", according to a report in Wanbao.
In order to help her mother pay for her medication to help put food
on the table, the girl often worked at a fast-food restaurant
during the holidays.
14-year-old Eunice Chew Li Xin is alleged to have been stabbed by
her 51-year-old mother, Goh Hai Eng.
Friends of the Pei Cai secondary school student told reporters from
the Chinese paper that they knew the victim's family was not
well-to-do.
Mum had not eaten for four days before incident
A day before the incident, Eunice had told her 16-year-old
boyfriend, Valentino Tan, that her mother had not eaten for four
days. The girl also told him that she did not have money to buy
food back for her mother.
The boy told reporters that on Wednesday, the both of them and a
group of friends had gone to Changi airport for a dance event,
before gathering back at his home.
At the time, Eunice expressed her worry about her mother.
He said: "She told me she had spent all her money, but was too
embarrassed to borrow from us. In the end when she went home, she
didn't have money to buy food for her mother."
The boy, who also got to know the girl while working at the fast
food restaurant, said he would frequently treat her to meals as he
knew about her family background.
"That night, I sent her to the MRT at about 10pm. She messaged me
an hour later to wish me goodnight. That was the last time I heard
from her..."
Teen was once threatened with a knife
Another friend of Eunice revealed to reporters from Wanbao that the
girl had complained to her several times that someone was
threatening to kill her with a knife.
She said the teen was so scared by the threats that she ended up
staying at her home for 5 days.
The two got to know each other when they were working together at a
fast-food restaurant and became good friends.
The friend said: "Although my father was sympathetic towards her
situation, he felt it wasn't appropriate for her to continue living
here, and persuaded her to return home."
Family background "complicated"
According to a 16-year-old friend of Eunice who called the Wanbao
hotline, the girl's family background was "complicated".
Eunice's parents had divorced 3 years ago.
Due to her mother's mental illness, Goh was unable to work, and the
family relied on Eunice's elder sister's meagre salary from working
at a petrol station to make ends meet.
"In order to lighten her sister's burden, she would work at a
fast-food restaurant during the holidays, and would use the money
to pay for her mother's medication and food," said the friend, who
also commented that the relationship between mother and daughter
was "close".
It was reported in Wanbao that Eunice lived together with her
mother, sister as well as her sister's few-month-old baby
girl.
On occasions when her sister was busy with work, the teen would
assume the role as "head of the household" - doing the household
chores, as well as looking after her mother and baby niece.
When interviewed by Wanbao's reporters, a good friend from the same
school as the teen described the teen as an easy-going person,
someone who did not look like she had any troubles.
A group of them who were close to Eunice were devastated by the
news of her death. Said her friend :"We were very sad and we all
cried when we found out about it."
Where's justice?
