Last Week in Reality
News in bite-sized chunks. Illustrations by Ryan Chan.
Sat 10
Blaze Haze Eight firemen from the Tsim Sha Tsui Fire Station are suspended due to a case of bullying and sexual assault in the workplace. The incident was first exposed via WhatsApp groups, which circulated images of a new recruit being bullied by his half-naked comrades. In one photo the man is pinned to a table, while a cream cake is pushed into his buttocks.
Sun 11
Bad Education A pregnant woman is having breakfast with her family in a cha chaan teng in To Kwa Wan when her two-year-old son misbehaves and refuses to eat. The mother slaps her son five times on his hands. A neighbor suspects it is a case of child abuse and calls the police, who escort the woman to the station. The boy is sent to the hospital by an ambulance for a thorough check up and the mother is released when police conclude that it is not a criminal case.
Mon 12
Grave Raider At least 19 graves of indigenous villagers in Tai Po are found to have been raided. The coffins were broken open and then left exposed to the elements: Police suspect that the grave robbers were after jade and jewelry buried alongside the deceased. The family involved says that they will arrange for people to take turns guarding the site; they estimate it will cost $30-50,000 to restore each grave.
Tue 13
Fallen Monks The chief nun of Tai Po’s Ting Wai Monastery is arrested on suspicion of entering into fake marriages with two monks from the mainland, to assist their applications for permanent residency. Actress and solicitor Mary Jean Reimer alleges that the nun told her that it was for the good cause of importing mainland talent into Hong Kong.
