Mother of abandoned boy, 12, found in Hong Kong hospital emergency department ‘willing to return’ to pick up child
- City leader John Lee warns of possible legal consequences for child’s parents over the case
- Police identify boy found wandering alone at Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei as Chen Healton
The mother of an abandoned 12-year-old boy has told police she is willing to return to Hong Kong to pick up her son, the Post has learned, while the city’s leader has warned of possible legal consequences for the child’s parents over the case.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday said the government was taking care of the boy’s well-being and investigating whether the parents would have to face legal consequences following the incident.
“These incidents do not only make people feel very uncomfortable, they are also extremely inappropriate,” Lee said before departing on a trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
According to a police source, the boy’s mother said she was willing to return to Hong Kong to take back her son, who was found on Friday, but did not specify when.
The source added they could not reveal whether any arrest would be made, as the case was still under investigation. The boy, however, was said to be temporarily staying in the Tuen Mun Children and Juvenile Home.
Sources earlier said the woman was currently in mainland China. Police have classified the case as abuse or neglect of a minor.
Police stated the child’s name as Chen Healton, with parents from the mainland. He was found wandering alone on Friday afternoon in the accident and emergency department at Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department on Saturday said the boy, a Hong Kong identity card holder, would be placed with a temporary residential childcare service.
The Integrated Family Service Centre will further provide help for the boy.
The boy, who appeared to have no injuries, is 1.45 metres (4 feet, 7 inches) tall, with black hair and a thin build. He was found wearing black-framed glasses, a dark blue short-sleeved T-shirt, khaki shorts and black sandals.
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Officers from Yau Tsim police district are investigating the incident. Social welfare workers earlier pleaded for information on the whereabouts of the abandoned child’s parents, guardians or relatives.
“In cases where the parents or families are living outside Hong Kong, the Social Welfare Department will also seek help from the cross-boundary and intercountry social service of the international Social Service Hong Kong Branch,” a spokesman said.
If no relatives or guardians can be located, the department will arrange residential care for him and formulate a plan for his long-term well-being, including adoption.
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Citing unverified sources, local media earlier reported the mother had crossed the border with the child earlier in the week and took him to the hospital to treat diarrhoea and a cough on Friday before leaving him alone in the ward.
The mother reportedly instructed the boy to tell the nurse that “he was abandoned” after she left the hospital.
Donna Wong Chui-ling, director of charity Against Child Abuse, said in most cases it was ideal for children to grow up with their original families. She said parents or the family should seek help if they faced difficulties that exceeded their capacities, warning that those who resorted to abandonment could face legal issues.
Wong added that the incident might also have affected the child in several areas, such as his trust in others, sense of self-worth and sense of security. She said an evaluation of both the child and his family should be carried before they were allowed to be reunited.
