Worker arrested on suspicion of child abuse at home operated by Hong Kong’s Po Leung Kuk charity
- Employee found to have pushed a two-year-old onto play mats multiple times during a random check by operator and social welfare officers
- Review of security camera recordings then found worker had been ‘rough’ on another five children, aged one to three years, kuk says
Police have arrested a 33-year-old employee of a residential home under one of Hong Kong’s leading charities on suspicion of ill-treating six children aged between one and three years.
The woman, who worked at the facility managed by the Po Leung Kuk’s residential childcare service, was found to have pushed a two-year-old onto play mats multiple times in a “rude and inappropriate” manner during a random check by the charity and Social Welfare Department on September 16, according to the operator on Monday.
A review of security camera recordings then found the worker from the baby section had been “rough” on another five children, aged one to three years, mostly pushing them onto play mats at the Causeway Bay home. The findings were handed to police.
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The worker was still on probation and immediately suspended, while hospital check-ups found the children were unhurt. The family of the two-year-old was notified, the kuk said.
Police later on Monday said the suspected improper treatment at the facility on Leighton Road concerned three boys and three girls, aged one to three, with the department referring the case on September 20.
The 33-year-old was arrested that day on suspicion of ill-treating or neglecting children after an investigation by the Hong Kong Island regional crime unit.
The woman was later released on bail but must report back to police next month.
The home accommodates children, from newborns to three years old, who lack adequate care because of family problems. It is one of the only two homes in the city that provide residential services for needy children of that age range.
The other provider, the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children, has faced scrutiny after police arrested 34 workers at the care home it runs for allegedly abusing 40 toddlers after suspected cases first came to light last December.
The employees of the Children’s Residential Home in Mong Kok were accused of yanking the children’s hair, hitting them on the head, slapping their faces and tossing them to the floor.
In the latest case, the department said it had dispatched a team to the home last Wednesday and Friday for further investigations, including reviewing records, interviewing workers and observing the health and emotional state of all children there.
It said it would closely monitor the home’s operation to ensure it complied with regulations.
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The kuk said it would also continue to check whether there had been other improper conduct.
“The kuk will continue to review the footage, and if any other inappropriate act is found, it will follow up on it seriously,” it said, adding that clinical psychologists would approach and help the children.
The group said it had zero tolerance for any inappropriate treatment of children, and would handle the case in a serious manner.
“The improper act of the staff member has been a blow to a team that has always been affectionate to the children and the team is upset,” the charity said.
Employees were reminded again about childcare essentials, while staff training had been provided regularly on work ethics, it said.
