Hong Kong murder accused assaulted mentally disabled victim during ‘exorcism’, court told

A self-proclaimed Taoist practitioner accused of murdering an intellectually impaired woman in Hong Kong hit her head against a wall and forced alcohol down her throat as part of an “exorcism”, a court has heard.

Dunsany Cheung Chi-choi, 54, went on trial in High Court on Tuesday after he denied murdering Ng Yan-yu on September 2, 2019, the day the 21-year-old was found dead in a Sai Kung village house in the presence of her parents.

Ng was said to have been diagnosed with mild intellectual impairment affecting her hearing and speech abilities.

Prosecutor Newman Wong told the seven-member jury in his opening statement that Cheung admitted to police he had assaulted Ng, including beating her with a pair of slippers and fly swatters, in the name of “exorcism” to drive away the “evil spirit” in her body. He allegedly used a sex toy on her as well.

But the defendant also denied another count of indecent assault.