FEHD worker denies child abuse over study dispute
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 40-year-old female employee of Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, identified in court as LSC, has denied one count of child abuse at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts over an incident alleged to have happened on 25 May 2025 at South Horizon in Hung Hom. The prosecution case is that she intentionally assaulted her 11-year-old son X in a way likely to cause unnecessary suffering while she was responsible for his care. In video-recorded evidence and in court, X said he had been made to study all day, wanted to rest on the sofa, and was then hit by a phone and struck in the chest. The defence said the phone was thrown toward the father during a marital argument and only bounced into the boy, a version X rejected
Key Points
- The charge alleges LSC, then aged 40, assaulted 11-year-old X on 25 May 2025 at a South Horizon flat in Hung Hom, causing likely unnecessary suffering.
- X said he had studied the whole Sunday with breaks only for meals, felt exhausted, sat on the sofa, and was shouted at to “go back and study”.
- He told the court his mother threw an iPhone at his left arm or elbow, causing pain, bruising and swelling, before later striking his chest with force.
- X described the chest blow as a drawn-back, bow-like motion with the left hand, said his father separated them, and said he still felt chest pain the next day.
- The defence suggested the mother was arguing with the father over suspected contact with another man, threw the phone for him to inspect, and did not punch X
Why It Matters
The case shows how allegations of violence inside a family can emerge only after several days, especially when a child says he feared the consequences of seeking medical help or reporting a parent. For Hong Kong readers, the trial also underlines how courts assess a child’s account against family dynamics, medical treatment choices and defence claims about what happened inside the home.