A drainage worker and a woman with a low intelligence quotient and post-natal depression went to jail yesterday for leaving their four daughters, including a two-month-old who died, to feed, clothe and fend for themselves.
In the District Court, Judge Joseph Yau Chi-lap sentenced the mother, Man Ching-yee, a 29-year-old housewife, to two years' jail and the father, Lin Ka-sing, 31, to one year and 10 months, with Man's heavier sentence reflecting her greater responsibility as the stay-at-home parent.
'This is a heart-wrenching case,' Judge Yau said. 'The parents had no plan, did not care, and had no ability to care for children. They treated their daughters worse than animals.'
Although a psychological report indicated that Man, with an IQ of 85, was of relatively low intelligence, he said it could not be lower than that of their seven-year-old daughter who cared for the baby. 'Though she was so young, she had to shoulder the responsibilities of a parent,' he said.
The daughters had developed many psychological problems and would require significant treatment, Judge Yau said.
Man and Lin were charged with four counts of ill-treating and neglecting a child, one for each daughter, aged eight, three, one, and two months when the parents were arrested, for leaving them in an apartment with no food or water and leaving the eldest to feed, clothe, change and bathe the youngest.
