Yuen Long toddler burned, domestic helper arrested
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 23-month-old girl was found with severe burns to both hands at a village house in Ha Mei San Tsuen, Yuen Long, on August 19, after she had been taken to a bathroom by the family’s Indonesian domestic helper. Police later arrested the 30-year-old helper on suspicion of ill-treatment or neglect of a child or young person, after the child’s mother said surveillance footage and the helper’s explanations did not match.
Key Points
- The girl’s mother said both wrists were red and peeling, and the injuries were assessed as second-degree burns rather than minor scalding.
- According to the mother, surveillance footage showed the helper taking the child into the bathroom and coming out with the girl’s hands already badly injured.
- The mother said footage also showed the helper leaving the bathroom at 2:58 pm to get ice from the kitchen, but only informing her at 3:18 pm
- The helper was said to have given differing accounts, including that the child reached for a pot, turned on water herself, or put her hands into warm water in a sink before the temperature was checked.
- The girl’s 23-year-old father reported the case to police, and the investigation has been assigned to Yuen Long district crime squad Team 9
Why It Matters
The case is likely to draw close attention because it involves very young children being cared for at home by a hired helper, with the family alleging inconsistencies in the account of how the injuries happened. The mother has also said the child may be left with scarring and possible effects on future hand movement, raising concern over the long-term consequences of the injuries