Hong Kong girl, 4, covered in bruises remains in critical condition; mum arrested
- Older brother finds girl submerged in partially filled bathtub, her body covered in bruises
- Mother arrested on suspicion of ill-treatment or neglect while in charge of a child
A four-year-old girl alleged to have been assaulted by her mother remained in a critical condition in a Hong Kong hospital on Sunday after she was found submerged and covered in bruises in a partially filled bathtub.
The 38-year-old mother was arrested on suspicion of ill-treatment or neglect while in charge of a child or young person. She was still in police custody on Sunday night.
The girl’s eight-year-old brother found her unconscious and alone in the bathtub in the family’s flat in the Billionnaire Royale estate on Sa Po Road in Kowloon City at about 9.30am on Saturday, according to a police source.
The boy was brushing his teeth in the bathroom while the mother was helping the girl take a bath, the insider said. The mother then went into the kitchen and the boy also left, so the girl was alone in the partially filled tub.
Several minutes later, the brother returned to find the girl unconscious at the bottom of the tub. He immediately alerted the mother and called the emergency hotline, according to the insider. The girl was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei and remains in a critical condition in the intensive care unit.
Responding medical personnel discovered bruises on the girl’s upper body, back, arms and legs and notified police. The woman was arrested at the scene.
