Hong Kong judge slams doctor in liposuction manslaughter case for not showing ‘an iota of remorse’
- Dr Vanessa Kwan Hau-chi, 38, is the third doctor in five years found guilty of manslaughter over a botched beauty treatment, though industry remains largely unregulated
- Prosecutor says Kwan breached her duty of care to the victim and failed to ensure a properly qualified person was present to monitor the sedation
A Hong Kong doctor has been slammed in court for not showing an “iota of remorse” for her gross negligence, which resulted in the death of a patient at a beauty clinic seven years ago.
Madam Justice Susana D’Almada Remedios on Friday observed there was no mention of guilt or regret in the mitigation submissions filed by lawyers for Dr Vanessa Kwan Hau-chi, 38, who faces up to life in prison for her manslaughter conviction over a fatal liposuction procedure in 2014.
“Not one iota of remorse – where does it say she’s remorseful?” the judge asked. “If she’s remorseful, that’s the first thing you would say to me.”
Defence counsel Paul Leung Chiu-lam replied he had been instructed to express condolences at the end of his oral submissions and reminded the court that the deceased, 32-year-old Josephine Lee Kar-ying, had been one of Kwan’s closest friends.
“No punishment can bring back Madam Lee or compensate for the loss,” Leung continued. “This is a tragic incident. Nobody wanted it to happen, definitely not the defendant.”
