Hong Kong police arrest 4 teenagers over viral back-alley assault video

Hong Kong police have arrested four boys on suspicion of inciting another person to become a member of an unlawful society and assault causing bodily harm, after a clip of a back-alley dispute in the early hours on Monday went viral.

A police spokesman said on Wednesday that officers arrested four local boys aged 13 to 17 the day before, following an investigation based on a clip of a suspected attack in a back alley in Sai Wan Ho that had circulated online.

“All arrestees are under custody for investigation,” the spokesman said.

In the clip seen by the South China Morning Post, four boys were seen attacking another boy by punching him, slapping him in the face, swearing at him and encircling him in a back alley between two buildings.

Towards the end of the video, one of the alleged attackers was heard telling the victim, “Remember this, I am your real boss”, before the four boys left the scene.

The case is now being investigated by the anti-triad team at the eastern police district.

Under Hong Kong law, the minimum age for criminal culpability is 10 years old. Defendants under the age of 14 and those aged above 14 but under 16 are generally handled in a specialised juvenile court.

No child between 10 and 13 can be sentenced to imprisonment, while a young person aged between 14 and 15 should not be sentenced to imprisonment if their sentence could be dealt with in any other way.

Sentencing options for young offenders thus include detention centres focusing on physical labour and strict discipline for male offenders aged between 14 and 24, training centres focusing on vocational training for offenders of all genders from 14 to 20 years old, as well as rehabilitation centres for offenders aged from 14 to 20 whose offence warranted a short custodial sentence.

The maximum punishment for inciting someone to become a member of an unlawful society is two years’ imprisonment and a fine of HK$50,000. The highest penalty for assault occasioning actual bodily harm is three years’ imprisonment.