FDH admits maltreating 10-month-old baby

The Bellagio in Sham Tseng (Photo: Google Maps)

A 34-year-old Filipino domestic worker admitted yesterday  (June 18) to maltreating her 10-month-old ward in Sham Tseng.

Defendant Joan F.B., also a mother of three, pleaded guilty to one count of “ill treatment or neglect by those in charge of child or young person” at the West Kowloon Magistrates Courts in Sham Shui Po.

She admitted to cradling the baby in her arms and forcibly swinging him back and forth “for 10 seconds” without putting a hand on his neck to support his head.

Joan said she was upset at the time because she was supposed to go on holiday to the Philippines but her employer was insisting that she get a contraceptive injection so that she would not get pregnant during her vacation. She eventually did not go home.

“Defendant you are convicted upon your own plea of guilty,” West Kowloon Acting Principal Magistrate Ada Yim told the Filipino woman.

According to the prosecution, the incident happened on February 2 inside the flat of Joan’s employer at The Bellagio along Castle Peak Road in Sham Tseng.

Joan began working for her employer in December 2017 and was tasked with taking care of her employer’s two children, including the 10-month-old baby.

At the time of the incident, the employer had asked Joan about her work but the helper did not respond.

The employer reviewed the CCTV footage which showed that, after she had left Joan, the helper “forcibly” swung from side to side five times while cradling the baby but without supporting his head.

The employer confronted Joan but she denied maltreating the boy. The baby was taken to the hospital but, after a battery of tests including a CT scan, showed no signs of abuse.

However, the employer noted that the baby had occasionally been vomiting since December 2018. A doctor said that that the baby’s neck muscles were not fully developed and forcefully swinging him could lead to vomiting and cerebral hemorrhage.

The Joan’s lawyer said the employer had agreed in November 2018 that the helper could go on vacation but, when December came, she required the Filipino woman to take a contraceptive shot.

“(Defendant) had a dispute with her employer regarding her holiday condition. If she was to go on holiday, the defendant had to have a contraceptive injection to prevent her from getting pregnant,” she added.

Joan had already bought her plane ticket for her vacation from February 13 to February 24 but she eventually cancelled her holiday.

“As the time got closer, she had all these built up frustration and anger…she took it out on the 10- month-old child,” said Joan’s lawyer.

“There is no excuse for her behaviour,” she added while noting that the CCTV footage showed that the baby “looked calm and was not crying” after Joan swung him back and forth while cradled in her arms.

Judge Yim said she would decide on Joan’s sentence on July 2 and called for a background report. In the meantime, Joan was remanded in jail custody.