Hong Kong sergeant faces internal probe over his handling of child assault case

An internal investigation is under way into the conduct of a police sergeant who was called to handle a report of "assault" against a four-year-old boy in a busy shopping mall in a case which has sparked fresh questions over child protection laws in Hong Kong.

The Complaints Against Police Office has confirmed it is investigating an officer who was called to the incident in Ocean Terminal earlier this month.

Varying witness accounts say the boy was either slapped three to four times over a short period or he was slapped, kicked and choked for 10 to 15 minutes by a man - who police have confirmed is the boy's 34-year-old father - as his mother looked on.

Rajarshi Putatunda, a 28-year-old hedge-fund associate, who witnessed the incident at close quarters and called the police, said: "I'm not one of those people sensitive about giving a kid a smack, but this guy was just going at it. He was hitting the kid with a toy. Giving him repeated slaps, couple of kicks while [the boy] was on the floor.

"The kid was trying to defend himself in his own way, flailing his arms, trying to get away. He was crying, his face red, and a bruise on his arm from where he manhandled him," said Putatunda, who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for 15 years.

Nearby shop workers said they only witnessed the boy crying and being slapped.