Hong Kong religious studies teacher charged with slapping 13-year-old boy during lesson
- Man, 35, charged in connection with alleged assault on boy at religious centre, expected to appear in court on Monday
- Boy’s sister, 17, says she hopes family decision to press charges will help ‘educate’ parents that corporal punishment is wrong
A man has been charged with slapping a 13-year-old boy at an Islamic learning centre, police have revealed.
A spokesman on Saturday said a 35-year-old man would appear in front of a magistrate at Eastern Court on Monday in connection with the alleged assault.
The incident is alleged to have happened last week.
The child’s family accused a teacher at a religious centre in Quarry Bay of slapping the boy as he taught a lesson on the Koran, injuring his eye.
The boy’s sister, 17, told the Post on Saturday that she hoped that her family’s decision to speak out would “educate” parents that corporal punishment was wrong and illegal in Hong Kong.
“Similar events have happened in the past but no one raised their voice,” she said. “[Our action] is a culture shock to the Muslim community as some families might have normalised hitting a kid.”
She added that some relatives with a traditional mindset in Pakistan learned about the incident after they read the news and questioned why the family would go to police and make a complaint.
Corporal punishment for children was banned in Pakistan in February 2021.
The sister emphasised the alleged assault should not be used to bolster stereotypes about her ethnic community as “Islam does not teach us all of this”.
The family made a complaint to police on August 10. The man was arrested in Kwun Tong on Friday.
An eye specialist found the boy had a detached retina with a 180-degree tear and said he would need two operations.
The child has already undergone a six-hour surgery and another operation is scheduled for six months’ time.
A police source said earlier the alleged offender had a recognisance form, a temporary immigration document that allows people to live in Hong Kong, but not to work.
It is unknown whether the man was a paid staff member at the centre at the time of the alleged offence.
The Muslim Council of Hong Kong, which first revealed the incident, called for surveillance cameras and a code of conduct to be introduced in a bid to prevent abuse in religious classes.
The boy’s sister said she had been in touch with the council and acknowledged their suggestions.
A spokesman for the Education Bureau said the school attended by the boy had contacted his parents and offered its support.
He added the bureau would hold talks with his school and also offered help to the family.
