A father in Sha Tin recently took to social media seeking help after his 1-year-old son sustained severe burns allegedly caused by their domestic helper. The helper, reportedly reprimanded earlier for laziness, was accused of holding the baby in the kitchen while cooking porridge.
Moments later, the baby was heard crying in pain. The boy suffered burns to his right hand and upper body, later confirmed as second-degree burns. Following a police investigation, the 43-year-old Filipino domestic helper was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.
The incident occurred on Monday morning (March 3) at around 10:00 a.m. The boy's mother reportedly heard his cries coming from the kitchen, where she found the helper holding the baby while cooking porridge. Upon inspection, the mother noticed redness and swelling on the baby's right hand and body. Alarmed, she questioned the helper, who claimed that the baby had pulled the electric cord of a kettle, causing hot water to spill and burn him.
The baby was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment, where doctors confirmed second-degree burns. The father later shared the incident online, explaining that he had scolded the helper earlier for being lazy. Seeking advice on terminating the helper's employment, netizens urged him to report the case to the police immediately.
On March 5, after the baby was discharged from the hospital, the mother reported the incident to the police. Following an investigation, the police arrested the 43-year-old domestic helper on suspicion of child abuse. The case remains under investigation.
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