Hong Kong teenager pleads guilty to acid attack on Singaporean tourist

A 19-year-old teenager has admitted splashing corrosive liquid on a Singaporean tourist in Hong Kong last year, leaving her with second-degree burns.

The High Court on Thursday heard the guilty plea from Anson Kew, who was 17 when he threw a corrosive solution at 36-year-old Jiang Wen, who was visiting the city, on June 9 last year.

Jiang was getting into a vehicle in Wan Chai when Kew, dressed in black and wearing a mask, ambushed her.

She screamed in pain and collapsed after feeling an intense burning sensation on her face and legs, as Kew fled the scene.

Kew surrendered at a police station two days later but remained silent during questioning, offering no explanation for the attack.

At Thursday’s hearing, Kew pleaded guilty to one count of throwing corrosive fluid with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Mr Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai adjourned sentencing to October 29.

A police investigation revealed Kew had scouted the location days before the attack. Security footage captured him observing and pacing along Burrows Street in Wan Chai.

After the attack, police retrieved a bottle containing traces of corrosive liquid at a back alley in the area.

A government chemist’s report showed the liquid contained sulphuric acid with a concentration of not less than 90 per cent – a level capable of causing severe skin burns and permanent visual damage.

Jiang was rushed to hospital immediately after the attack. Medical reports showed that 10 to 11 per cent of her body surface suffered burns, mainly affecting her face and limbs. She underwent emergency surgery, followed by skin grafts and additional suturing.

Jiang remained in hospital for two months before returning to Singapore for further medical care.