Hong Kong police have arrested a woman on suspicion of abusing a child after a viral video showed a girl being slapped in a public library.
Police said they had identified and arrested a 35-year-old woman, surnamed Lau, in Cheung Sha Wan at about 8pm on Friday after an in-depth investigation involving inspection of surveillance footage.
“Police have paid close attention to the case,” a spokesman said. “The Sham Shui Po division immediately took the initiative to follow up.”
He added that the woman was being detained for questioning.
The spokesman also noted that the girl was safe and had been sent to hospital for an examination. Her family was also referred to relevant departments and agencies for help, he added.
A video said to be taken on Thursday at 2.50pm at Po On Road Public Library in Cheung Sha Wan shows a woman slapping a girl on the face while sitting at a round table, with a boy sitting next to them.
The woman is seen at the beginning of the clip angrily scolding the girl for making slow progress with her revision.
“It’s already 3 o’clock. It’s been 50 minutes and you still haven’t finished,” she told the girl. “Let’s go out. I will beat you up, I tell you. I can’t take it any more.”
The woman is later seen pinching the girl’s cheek before yelling at her: “[You] know nothing. Did you go to school? What’s your problem? You can’t even count?”
The girl, sitting with her back to the camera and in front of some books, apparently wipes away tears with her right arm, while the boy is seen grinning.
The woman drags the girl from her chair and pushes her away.
The latter part of the video is taken at what appears to be the backstairs of a building.
The woman is seen slapping the girl several times with both hands. The girl does not make a sound but uses her right hand to wipe away her tears.
Police said all members of society had a responsibility to protect children, and that any cases of child abuse should immediately be reported to them once discovered.
People found to have abused or neglected a child or young person in their care are liable to a jail term of 10 years if convicted on indictment, or a three-year sentence upon summary conviction.
