Hong Kong court grants bail to domestic helper accused of scalding 1-year-old

A Hong Kong court has granted bail to a domestic helper who allegedly scalded her employer’s one-year-old son with hot water, causing a large amount of skin to peel off.

The 43-year-old woman appeared at Sha Tin Court on Friday to face one count of ill-treatment or neglect by someone in charge of a child or young person.

The defendant, whose full name was hidden in the court document, was accused of harming the one-year-old boy in North Yeuk Siu Lek Yuen in Sha Tin.

The alleged abuse took place on Monday, but only came to light the next day. A social media user, who said he was the boy’s father, posted an image of the child’s red and swollen arm.

The father accused the helper of using hot water to scald the child in the family’s flat.

The photo shows extensive peeling of skin on the boy’s arm.