Hunt for parents of three children left alone in Hong Kong flat with no water or electricity
- Two brothers, aged six and 14, and their seven-year-old sister found after school principal checks up on flat in Tsing Yi
A citywide police search was under way on Friday for the parents of three children left alone in a Hong Kong public housing flat where the water and electricity had been cut.
The two boys, aged six and 14, and their seven-year-old sister had been taken to a public hospital for examination. They had suffered no obvious injuries.
The case came to light after the girl told her teacher “she did not take baths because there was no supply of water at home”, according to a law enforcement source.
The three siblings were found at home on Thursday evening when the school principal visited their flat on Cheung Ching Estate, Tsing Yi.
He could not find the parents, and called police at about 7pm. The children were taken to Princess Margaret Hospital in Lai Chi Kok for check-ups.
The source said it seemed there really was no water or electricity supply.
By 2pm on Friday, no one had been arrested, according to police.
In Hong Kong, wilfully assaulting, ill-treating or neglecting a child below the age of 16 under one’s care in a manner likely to cause injury carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
According to official statistics, the Social Welfare Department handled 554 cases of child abuse in the first six months of this year. There were 947 reports in the whole of 2017.