Single mother in Hong Kong spared jail over ‘unfortunate’ abuse of son, 8, as court sentences her to probation, mental health treatment
- Woman, 45, sentenced to probation for 1½ years and required to undergo treatment for mental disorder after repeatedly abusing her son
- Defence counsel says situation like ‘patient caring for another patient’ as mother had a mental illness and was looking after a son with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
A single mother in Hong Kong was spared jail on Friday for abusing her eight-year-old son, including by hanging him upside down and jabbing his hands with a needle, in what a court described as an “unfortunate” case of child cruelty.
West Kowloon Court sentenced the 45-year-old woman to 1½ years’ probation, noting she required treatment for her mental illness rather than punishment.
She must undergo psychiatric and psychological counselling as instructed by the Social Welfare Department during the period, failing which she could face a more severe penalty.
The trial earlier this year heard the mother had punched and kicked the boy, as well as hit him with slippers and hangers at a public rental flat on September 18, 2022.
The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said the defendant lost her temper after he refused to wear a pair of trousers and kept playing on his digital devices.
