Hong Kong government urged to amend guide on handling child abuse in coroner’s case involving death of boy who probably ingested Ice
The hearing heard that the boy’s mother and boyfriend regularly took Ice in their Fanling flat and Social Welfare Department wanted him removed from their care
A coroner has urged the government to amend its guide for handling child abuse after ruling that a five-year-old boy died of misadventure three years ago when his drug-addicted carers improperly stored the drug methamphetamine.
Coroner Ko Wai-hung also called for public attention to the harmful effects brought about by drug abuse in concluding an inquest into the death of Yeung Chi-wai, who he found was poisoned by direct ingestion of crystal methamphetamine.
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“Chi-wai’s death was unfortunate,” the coroner said. “This inquest demonstrates that drug abuse not only harms drug abusers, but also their family members.”
The inquest previously heard that Yeung, a boy with Down syndrome and the intellectual capacity of an 18-month-old, was under the care of his mother Wong Pui-lin, then 35, and her boyfriend Ngan Tin-hung, then 37.
Both abused the drug commonly known as Ice.
Yeung’s sister had testified that their mother and her boyfriend would take the drug up to six times a week in the living room of their Fanling home, but never in front of him.
The boy was brought to the Social Welfare Department’s attention when his school teachers noticed in January 2013 multiple wounds on his body and that he was frequently absent.
It was decided at a case conference on February 28 that Yeung ought to be removed from Wong’s care as she was mentally unfit and displayed signs of neglect.
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But she was allowed to take care of him until a special needs shelter was available on the condition that she would do her best to take him to school and receive support from social workers.
That was the case until Yeung once again missed school on March 22. He died the next day, with a blood concentration of Ice that was seven times the fatal limit.
His mother and Ngan later admitted to police they took turns to take the drug while feeding him milk just before he died.
The coroner said he respected the expert opinion at the case conference. But he questioned why the social workers, doctors and police present failed to adequately consider how and where Yeung’s carers abused the drug.
He said it was likely that Yeung swallowed a whole piece of crystal methamphetamine, given his habit of putting things into his mouth.
In light of the case, Ko recommended that the department should amend its risk assessment matrix to include consideration of how and where the carers’ substance abuse took place and whether the drug was accessible to the child in drawing up care plans for abused children.
The Social Welfare Department said it would carefully consider the coroner’s recommendations and review its guide for handling child abuse cases.
A spokeswoman said it would also raise the coroner’s concerns in its internal meetings and training activities for frontline staff.
Both Wong and Ngan were previously cleared of child abuse charges as investigators did not find the drug or tools to consume it within the flat.
Detective inspector Lee Shu-kuen from Tai Po district crime squad said police would discuss the case with the Department of Justice to see if prosecutions were still possible, but noted that the chance was slim as the inquest did not produce any new evidence.
Wong was absent from the inquest. Her boyfriend Ngan is currently in custody awaiting his next court appearance on April 5 on separate drug-related charges.
