JENNIFER NGO AND EMILY TSANG
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 10 September, 2015, 2:53am
UPDATED : Thursday, 10 September, 2015, 2:53am
Lawmaker and social work scholar Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung said there were obvious gaps between departments, which allowed the girl's plight to go unreported. Photo: Edward Wong
Missed opportunities that allowed the abuse of a seven-year-old girl to go undetected until she was admitted to hospital for malnutrition and brain damage highlight the city's lack of a comprehensive child protection system, according to children's rights advocates.
Dr Jessica Ho Oi-chu, director of Against Child Abuse, asked why the family's social worker never saw the girl, despite the Social Welfare Department being aware of marital difficulties.
"I find it odd the social worker didn't see the girl. I think it should be compulsory to do an initial assessment of each family member," Ho said.
Lawmaker Dr Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung questioned why the kindergarten did not raise concerns after the mother removed her daughter when staff noticed wounds on the girl's legs.
The girl moved to Hong Kong from the mainland in November last year to stay with her birth parents, brother and half-sisters. She has been in hospital since July, and is said to weigh less than 15kg, has gangrene on her thighs, buttocks and feet, and skin ulcers all over her body.
Lawmaker and social work scholar Cheung said there were obvious gaps between departments, which allowed the girl's plight to go unreported.
"Family social workers usually don't look too deep. If there's a financial problem they help the family apply for welfare; if there is a marriage issue they offer counselling. They may not look into the children if they do not suspect abuse," he said. "What I'd ask is why the school didn't report the case - it was a red flag when the girl withdrew from school after staff questioned her mother about her wounds."
Both Cheung and Ho agreed there needed to be better policy regarding child protection.
"The problem is that we don't change anything despite this shocking case. There is no systematic review. We will just be shocked for a few days and forget about it," said Ho, who called for an immediate review of this serious case of child abuse.
Referring to a triple suicide-murder case on Saturday, when a father died with his two boys in a rented flat, Ho said: "There could be a lot of hidden cases ... and the government just says they will follow up accordingly."
The girl is in a stable condition, but has been unresponsive to all attempts of stimulation since being admitted. Her parents and older twin sisters have been released on bail.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1856831/childrens-rights-advocates-say-case-malnourished-girl-7
