A mother-of-two was put on probation yesterday for throwing her newborn son to his death from a 20th-floor balcony window because she could not face telling her parents-in-law the child was not her husband's. Mr Justice Louis Tong Po-sun accepted a psychiatrist's report that Cheung Siu-ying was mentally disturbed at the time and had not fully recovered from the effect of giving birth. Cheung, 21, was also ordered to attend psychiatric or psychological treatment. Cheung, whose husband was in an addiction treatment centre when the baby was conceived, had pleaded guilty to a charge of infanticide at her Tuen Mun flat on November 26, 2001. The court heard Cheung was very remorseful and felt ashamed. Mr Justice Tong said it was a very sad case as Cheung, who was a neglected child herself, could not face the moral dilemma. He said the tragedy could have been avoided if the defendant had sought help earlier. Last month, a girl, 15, was also put on probation for throwing her newborn daughter to her death.
