Hong Kong government urged to amend guide on handling child abuse in coroner’s case involving death of boy who probably ingested Ice
The hearing heard that the boy’s mother and boyfriend regularly took Ice in their Fanling flat and Social Welfare Department wanted him removed from their care
A coroner has urged the government to amend its guide for handling child abuse after ruling that a five-year-old boy died of misadventure three years ago when his drug-addicted carers improperly stored the drug methamphetamine.
Coroner Ko Wai-hung also called for public attention to the harmful effects brought about by drug abuse in concluding an inquest into the death of Yeung Chi-wai, who he found was poisoned by direct ingestion of crystal methamphetamine.
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“Chi-wai’s death was unfortunate,” the coroner said. “This inquest demonstrates that drug abuse not only harms drug abusers, but also their family members.”
The inquest previously heard that Yeung, a boy with Down syndrome and the intellectual capacity of an 18-month-old, was under the care of his mother Wong Pui-lin, then 35, and her boyfriend Ngan Tin-hung, then 37.
Both abused the drug commonly known as Ice.
Yeung’s sister had testified that their mother and her boyfriend would take the drug up to six times a week in the living room of their Fanling home, but never in front of him.
The boy was brought to the Social Welfare Department’s attention when his school teachers noticed in January 2013 multiple wounds on his body and that he was frequently absent.