Parents of man jailed for murdering sister recall the brother he once was, and the family they lost

Huang Bocan’s parents recalled the caring, responsible boy they once trusted to look after his younger sister, after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder. They said they regret being so focused on work and wish they had spent more time with their children; Baoying’s death, his lawyer said, has broken the family in many ways.

Bocan, 34, was convicted of murdering Baoying, who died in May 2021 after prolonged abuse involving starvation and being chained to a toilet. She had lost 43 per cent of her body weight and died from blunt force trauma and severe malnourishment. His co-accused Lim Peng Tiong was sentenced to 14 years and 11 months in jail, while Chee Mei Wan’s case is still before the courts.