Schoolboy, 13 'still haunted by teacher'

A 13-year-old boy fears a teacher who manhandled him five years ago might come after him again, a High Court judge heard yesterday.

Psychiatrist Dr Jane Garland said the child, who now lives in Canada, dreaded the prospect of facing the teacher in a Hong Kong court.

'He has an unreasonable fear that his teacher is going to come after him still,' she said in evidence given via a video-link from Canada.

She said Edmond Cheung Yee-mong suffers from chronic post-traumatic stress syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder.

'One of the ways he has coped is to say he was never going to be in Hong Kong again so his teacher could not come and harm him,' Dr Garland said.

But Edmond is now back in the territory so his parents can pursue a $9 million damages claim.

Dr Garland said Edmond had been so worried about returning that she had prescribed anti-anxiety drugs for his condition.