Parents of girl lugging beer held for possible neglect

RTHK - Oct 7, 2026

Police on Wednesday arrested the parents of a young girl who was filmed to be lugging packs of beer on the streets of Tuen Mun, while her father stood beside her. The 38-year-old man and his 32-year-old spouse have been detained on suspicion of "ill-treatment or neglect by those in charge of child or young person". Officers from the Child Abuse Investigation Unit launched a probe after a passerby captured the scene on Tuesday and posted the video on social media, drawing widespread attention. The nearly four-minute video, filmed at Fu Tai Estate, showed the girl – understood to be around 10 years old – holding one bag of beer in each hand while carrying a damaged backpack and wearing a school uniform. A man and two children appeared to accompany the girl. Police have referred the case to the Social Welfare Department. In a media response, the department said social workers had reached out to the family, and a multi-disciplinary case conference will be convened to assess their needs. A follow-up plan will be formulated to provide assistance and support based on the child's health and developmental status, as well as the family's caregiving capacity. The school the girl attended issued a statement in the early...

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