Hong Kong mother of dead 5-year-old boy on murder charge remanded in jail
- Magistrate adjourns case until late November as police need more time for investigation, with aunt of victim also arrested on suspicion of neglect
- Duty lawyer representing accused says the two siblings of the dead boy are in the care of the Social Welfare Department
The pregnant mother of a five-year-old boy found dead with bruises all over his body in Hong Kong has been remanded in jail after appearing in court to face a murder charge.
Police on Monday escorted Lai Shing-tai, 33, to West Kowloon Court, where Magistrate Peter Yu Chun-cheung adjourned the case until late November, with more time needed for the police investigation.
The aunt of the victim was also arrested on suspicion of child neglect.
Hong Kong mum charged with murder, aunt arrested after boy dies
Lai is accused of killing her son Lai Yat-ming in a subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po. A court prosecutor said the case was serious, noting that the boy was already unconscious by the time police arrived at the home just after midnight on Friday.
She was sent for psychiatric assessment after threatening to jump off a building. The boy was later certified dead in hospital. A preliminary examination found new and old scars on his body.
A government psychiatrist suggested it was appropriate to send the pregnant single mother to inpatient care at Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, the court heard.
Child abuse review calls for more surprise checks at Hong Kong care centres
The magistrate initially ordered Lai to be held at the centre, but later decided to hand her over to the prison service. Parties were told that the facility would only admit suspects held for short periods for the purpose of psychiatric assessment.
A duty lawyer representing the accused said the two siblings of the deceased had been placed in the care of the Social Welfare Department.
Lai will return to the same court on November 28. She can apply for bail before a High Court judge.
Mother arrested on suspicion of murdering 5-year-old boy in Hong Kong
The boy struggled with developmental delays, which might have led to temper issues, according to police. Amid coronavirus-related class suspensions earlier this year, he stopped going to school and was often absent from virtual classes arranged by teachers.
Over the weekend, concern groups and experts called on authorities to work closer with social workers and educators to provide more support for families struggling with parenting, emotional, financial and housing difficulties. They also urged the government to speed up proposed legislation to punish those who failed to report suspected child abuse.
