Young mainland women 'marrying elderly Hong Kong men to get residency'
Welfare group sees rise in abuse cases in which old men who married young mainlanders are forced into divorce and evicted from their flats
All Uncle Law, 83, wanted was someone to share his life with. And when he met a young mainland woman, he thought he had finally found "the one".
They married after meeting in Hunan province in 2010 and had a son the following year. But last year, just six months after his wife and son obtained their one-way permits to live in Hong Kong, Law's world fell apart.
After months of abuse, including public humiliation, he was divorced, lost custody of his son, then three, and was evicted from his 150 sq ft public flat.
Law's story is not unusual, according to welfare agency Against Elderly Abuse, to which he was referred in December. But the agency said he was the oldest of 100 elderly men who sought its help last year.
"In the beginning, the couple had disputes over trivial matters," assistant executive director Roy Lam Man-chiu said.
"She then complained about their poor living conditions, argued over money and their relationship, and shouted at him every day.
"She also accused him of impotence in front of his friends and neighbours. This made him feel ashamed and embarrassed. He was afraid to go out and meet neighbours and friends."