A Hong Kong mother accused of neglecting her 12-year-old daughter who had been chronically underweight has been spared trial as the prosecution agreed to place her on a good behaviour bond, with the justice department saying public interest is generally a key factor in such decisions.
The South China Morning Post has learned that prosecutors at West Kowloon Court dropped a child abuse charge against the 53-year-old housewife earlier this month in exchange for her agreeing to a three-year bind-over order.
Her daughter dropped from 24.9kg to 20.9kg (55lbs to 46lbs) from March to April in 2023. The mother admitted she sometimes failed to follow doctor’s advice and feed her daughter three times a day.
The girl’s weight at the time was about 8kg below the third percentile for her age. She had been underweight since age six, and at one point in 2021 was placed on a feeding tube in hospital.