Hong Kong teacher punished special needs pupils, some as young as 6, by spraying alcohol sanitiser in their faces

A teacher was convicted yesterday of punishing seven special needs pupils, some as young as six, by spraying alcohol-based hand cleaning liquid into their faces.

Magistrate Winnie Lau Yee-wan said Ann Leung Pui-ki, 47, had deliberately assaulted the Primary One pupils at the Po Leung Kuk Law’s Foundation School in Yuen Long with isopropyl alcohol between September 2013 and July last year.

Tuen Mun Court heard earlier that Leung sprayed the pupils when they cried or drooled, which her assistant had described as Leung’s attempt to warn them.

The teacher, who defended herself, claimed said she merely sprayed the liquid on the pupils’ hands and their surroundings for sanitisation.

Video footage capturing Leung spraying the liquid – which was sent to parents and prompted the school to report her to the police – was submitted to court.

The magistrate convicted Leung of 11 counts of wilful assault causing injury to a child after praising the honesty and reliability of the prosecution witnesses, including the assistant. She also gave weight to the authenticity of the video footage.