Hong Kong’s welfare minister has defended what he called the “professional judgement” of medical and social workers following the death of a girl shortly after her mother’s.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun spoke to reporters on Thursday following a double tragedy involving a 12-year-old girl and her 48-year-old mother, who both fell to their deaths within hours of each other on Wednesday in Taikoo Shing.

“The daughter went to the hospital accompanied by her family” after her mother’s death, Sun said in Cantonese.

“At the hospital, doctors, nurses and social workers met with her, and they had to make a judgement. I understand that they decided [the girl] could go home.”

Sun said it was understandable that there were concerns about whether it was suitable to allow the girl to return home.

The daughter was accompanied by family members when she was assessed at the hospital and returned home, Sun added.

“I believe the doctors, nurses and social workers had made the decision [to let her go home] at that time based on their professional judgement.”

He said he refrained from commenting further as the police were investigating the double tragedy.

The mother, a social worker with the Social Welfare Department, was found dead on the podium of their residential block around 9.24am after she reportedly had an argument with her daughter about “educational issues,” according to local media.

At 7.21pm, roughly 10 hours later, police were notified of the fall of the daughter at the same address. The girl was certified dead at the scene.

Sun urged people to give the family space and respect their privacy at the moment of tragedy, saying that authorities sought to provide immediate support to the father and other family members.

Edward To, director of social welfare, said at the same press conference that government social workers had visited the father following the incident.

Bouquets were seen at the scene at Taikoo Shing following the tragedy, as residents paid tribute to the mother and daughter.

A Hong Kong couple arrested on suspicion of child neglect have said they were granted a birth certificate for their infant but will only be allowed to take him home once they are deemed “safe parents.”

Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin, the parents of a two-month-old infant, Danny, collected the birth certificate from the Immigration Department headquarters in Tseung Kwan O on Sunday, after initially refusing to undergo DNA tests to confirm their parentage.

The couple also told reporters outside the headquarters that they would be allowed to visit Danny for one hour this week and could take him home if they passed a parental assessment with government social workers.

“The social workers will assess our situation, including our ability to act as parents. If the social workers are satisfied with our performance and think that we are safe parents, we believe we can bring Danny home in no time,” said Tsang, Danny’s father.

As part of the assessment, social workers will inspect whether their living accommodation, at a hostel in Lai Chi Kok, is suitable for raising Danny, he said. If it is deemed unsuitable, the government will do its best to find an environment suited to caring for an infant.

Danny is now under a child protection order allowing the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to care for him instead of his parents.

Prior to the arrests, Danny had not had any medical check-ups since birth, which security chief Chris Tang said constituted child neglect when he announced the arrests on Tuesday. They agreed to undergo DNA tests and were confirmed to be Danny’s parents on Thursday.

The couple had said earlier that they practised “free births” and that their baby boy was born in Hong Kong around two months ago. His birth was not registered, although Hong Kong law stipulates that parents must register the birth of a newborn within 42 days of delivery.

Free birth, also called unassisted birth, involves a conscious decision to undergo pregnancy and give birth without professional maternity care or medical intervention. The trend has put the lives of mothers and babies at grave risk.

Their admission of practising “free births” gained widespread attention and sparked concern over Danny’s well-being.

Separately on Sunday, labour chief Chris Sun told journalists that Danny was in good condition in a care home and that social workers would continue to communicate with the two parents.

Tsang also said that he and his wife had signed documents authorising the government to send their DNA to Sweden, where their daughter Lily is now living with an adoptive family after Swedish authorities removed her from the couple’s care over health concerns in December 2023.

 

GEORGE TOWN, June 13 — School administrators, district education offices (PPD), and state education departments (JPN) have been urged to take firm and immediate action as soon as they receive complaints of misconduct, particularly those involving sexual harassment of students.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said such cases must not be taken lightly or allowed to persist until they go viral before action is taken.

“When a child reports being sexually harassed, parents and teachers must take action. The matter must be reported to the authorities and investigated thoroughly.

“Follow-up measures must also be carried out, including ensuring the child receives protection from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and undergoes a health examination,” she told reporters here today.

She said this when asked to comment on allegations that action in a case involving a teacher and a student in Lawas, Sarawak, was only taken after the matter went viral on social media.

Fadhlina said all PPDs must remain vigilant regarding such cases and act in accordance with established procedures, including lodging reports with the police.

She also urged members of the public who have information about the sexual harassment of children to report it directly to the authorities rather than merely sharing it on social media.

Fadhlina said the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Safe School Management Guidelines and Student Protection Policy should serve as key references for all educational institutions under the ministry.

In a separate development, she said the MOE is still investigating a case involving a Year Six pupil in Perlis who allegedly suffered serious injuries as a result of bullying. The matter has also been referred to the authorities.

“We will not compromise on issues of bullying, and firm action will be taken against any party found to be involved.

“The allegations must be supported by a transparent and credible investigation. The authorities are currently conducting their investigation, while the ministry is also carrying out an internal probe,” she said.

Regarding an incident in which a discipline teacher was allegedly assaulted by a group of students while carrying out his duties, Fadhlina said teachers also have the right to protection under the law when exercising their authority and responsibilities. — Bernama

 

 

A local couple arrested on suspicion of child neglect has been confirmed as the biological parents of an infant born with no medical records, according to local media.

According to DNA test results, Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin are the parents of two-month-old Danny, local media reported on Thursday, citing unnamed government sources.

The parents, who at first opposed the DNA tests, finally agreed to take them on Wednesday, a day after they were arrested on suspicion of child neglect. The government had demanded that they undergo the tests to register the baby’s birth.

According to media reports, Tsang and Kwan were taken to the Immigration Department headquarters to assist with the investigation on Wednesday after they were released from police detention on a HK$1,000 bail.

The baby boy had not had any medical check-ups since birth, which constituted child neglect, security chief Chris Tang said on Tuesday, when he announced the arrests.

The couple said they practised “free births” and that their baby boy was born in Hong Kong around two months ago. His birth has not been registered, although Hong Kong law stipulates parents must register the birth of a newborn within 42 days of delivery.

Free birth, also called unassisted birth, involves a conscious decision to undergo pregnancy and give birth without professional maternity care or medical intervention. The trend has put the lives of mothers and babies at grave risk.

Infant in gov’t care

Stephanie Lee, a senior social work officer at the Social Welfare Department (SWD), said at a press conference on Wednesday that a court had granted the department a child protection order to care for the baby boy.

She said that Danny remained at the Caritas Medical Centre and would be sent to a care home under the child protection order to ensure his well-being. “We can all rest assured that he is now in the care of professionals,” Lee said.

The SWD will submit a report to the court to determine further welfare arrangements, she added.

Speaking to the press at midnight on Thursday outside the Immigration Department headquarters, the parents said they could apply to visit the child, and that they believed he would be safe with the authorities.

“The arrest was well-intended, as [the authorities] helped us clarify the parental relationship and whether we had committed child abuse,” Tsang said. “They were rather concerned about our son, whether medical care had been inadequate and that his parents’ identities had not been confirmed.”

Prior to their arrests, the couple launched a social media campaign in an attempt to regain custody of their daughter, Lily, from the Swedish government. Their admission of practising “free births” gained widespread attention and sparked concern over Danny’s well-being.

According to local media, the couple’s eldest daughter was born at home in Finland but died in infancy, and the Swedish government removed the second child, Lily, from their care due to health conditions.