Helper arrested for allegedly slapping 5-year-old boy after he refuses to eat

Hong Kong police have arrested a foreign domestic helper for allegedly slapping a five-year-old boy who refused to eat his meal at a Kowloon City flat.

Police received a report at about 11.57pm on Wednesday from the boy’s mother, who said her son had been ill-treated by her 37-year-old Filipino helper at their home at 97 Hau Wong Road.

Police said the woman checked the flat’s CCTV footage after her son told her he had been slapped by the helper when she returned home.

The footage showed the helper hitting the boy with her hand at around 9pm on Wednesday while feeding him, after he refused to eat his meal.

Initial investigations suggested the helper had struck the boy’s face.

The boy, who complained of pain in his face, was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for examination.

The helper, who had been employed by the family for about a month, was arrested for ill-treatment or neglect of a child or young person and was detained for investigation.

The case is being handled by the Kowloon City district criminal investigation unit.