The sudden death of a five-year-old boy in Sham Shui Po has once again shocked the Hong Kong community, and the subsequent case has revealed the rough life of the mother of the boy involved. However, behind the personal problems of the female victim, it actually reflects the fragmentation and lack of a child protection mechanism in Hong Kong.

The case is a tragic one. The boy was found as skinny and bony as a two-year-old toddler, with a dark complexion and more than 30 old and new wounds from head to toe. The 34-year-old woman, who works as a casual laborer, is raising her three children on her own and is five months pregnant at the same time. Living in a 100-square-foot sub-divided unit with her son, she was under stress due to financial constraints, her non-CSSA status and occasional rent arrears.

The boy was dependent on his mother and her fate was in her hands. Unable to protest or seek help, the boy was physically abused and suspected to have been starved to the point of being "skin and bones". He was eventually found collapsed on a bed in a sub-divided unit and was confirmed dead after hospitalization.

Every time a similar incident occurs, it triggers a lot of discussions on improving the child protection mechanism. The public often focuses on issues such as increasing penalties and legislating for a mandatory child abuse reporting mechanism as soon as possible, but there is still very little that can be done to prevent the recurrence of tragedies. After the death of a five-year-old girl in Tuen Mun who was abused in 2018, the Hong Kong government has strengthened the reporting mechanism for suspected child abuse cases and started to implement the "one social worker for two schools" policy in kindergartens. However, in the past two to three years, the problem of child abuse in Hong Kong has continued to occur.

The Sham Shui Po tragedy reflects that many carers are in a helpless and desperate situation. There is a lack of support measures for child care in Hong Kong. Many single parents are faced with the dilemma of juggling work and family, and with the epidemic further exacerbating the problem, it is easy for some to point the finger of blame at those around them, especially their less resilient children. During the height of the epidemic, the number of child abuse and domestic violence cases in Hong Kong reached record highs. The closure of schools made it more difficult for outsiders to identify suspected cases of child abuse, and many hidden cases went undetected.

The fundamental solution lies in providing early support to problematic families, intervening to take care of children in need, and helping carers to relieve stress and correct their attitudes and violence, so that the children can grow up in their families of origin with peace of mind. Through the provision of residential services, both parties can be avoided from sharing the same room and a buffer space can be provided for them. As in the Sham Shui Po case, the boy had Special Educational Needs (SEN) and often lost his temper and was difficult to discipline. Coupled with the closure of the school during the epidemic, the boy spent more time with his mother, resulting in a "dilemma" situation in which the latter was suspected to be overwhelmed by the pressure, resulting in a fatal accident.

At present, there is an acute shortage of residential child care services in Hong Kong. The occupancy rate of sheltered housing has been close to saturation for a long time, and under the social segregation measures in recent years, such support has become even more inadequate, falling short of the expectations of the community. In view of this, Sunyu Academy advocates that the Government can identify suitable schools to provide after-school care services and arrange emergency residential care for these children who lack proper family care. This will not only make good use of the existing resources in the society, but also help to alleviate the shortage of places in sheltered housing centers.

It is proposed that the program be initially voluntary to encourage participation by needy families or single parents. The children will be allowed to stay in the residential setting for a few days a week. Depending on the circumstances, parents or caregivers can arrange to communicate with and meet the children. In a residential care setting, the children are more likely to receive appropriate care and the caregivers have some breathing space to compose themselves. The ultimate goal of the service is to provide an opportunity for the two generations to repair their relationship and help the children to return to their families and reunite with them. If the scheme develops satisfactorily, the Government may consider regularizing the service, or even requiring mandatory participation by families in urgent and serious cases.

At the same time, the Government should regularly review the development of residential child care in Hong Kong in collaboration with the sector, schools and various stakeholders in the community, with a view to perfecting the relevant measures to meet the ever-changing social needs. Early intervention should be made as far as practicable to protect vulnerable children, so as to safeguard their rights and well-being in the long run.

Help-seekers may call SWD's 24-hour hotline at 2343 2255 hotline.

If you would like to know more about this or have any questions, please contact our social workers at the Integrated Family Service Center or leave a message to us at Sunyu Academy and we will try our best to answer your questions.

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