Deputy High Court Judge Derek Pang Wai-cheong, who said he was shocked by the children's condition, has called for background and psychiatric reports and set sentencing for September 25.

Kwok Mei-yi, 24, pleaded guilty to neglecting her three sons, who were aged from one to five at the time of her arrest in April last year.

Pang said he had not come across such neglect in the past and wondered what sort of lives the three boys had led, especially two-year-old Kwok Chun- wai who was found to be seriously malnourished and weighed only 5.6 kilograms when discovered.

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Medical experts said the boy was probably also suffering from cerebrum paralysis with spasms in his right arm.

On March 30 last year, her youngest son was admitted to the emergency room of Tuen Mun Hospital after Kwok Mei-yi claimed he had a fever.

However, the doctor said the boy's face was bruised and he was suffering from a fractured right collar bone and head injuries. Kwok said the boy may have hit his head when she attempted to wake him by pinching his face. However, police were notified and the three brothers were placed in the care of the Social Welfare Department.

The mother was pregnant at the time of her arrest and gave birth to a girl last October.

In a police statement, the mother claimed her live-in boyfriend at the time had admitted hitting the children when they cried.

On two occasions a kindergarten teacher found bruises on the second son's arm and back.

In mitigation, her lawyer said Kwok had come from a broken home. Her mother had run away and her father was a drunk who also gambled.

Outside the court, a police officer said Kwok had become more affectionate and had sent items of clothing and toys to her sons, who are now under the care of the Social Welfare Department.

The accused's boyfriend is living in Guangzhou.

A Social Welfare Department spokeswoman said Kwok was currently collecting the full welfare benefit of HK$8,000 a month, even though she did not have to look after the children.

However, the allowance will be stopped should she be jailed.

Against Child Abuse director Priscilla Lui Tsang Sun-kai said it was society's responsibility to report all cases of child abuse to the police.

And to prevent future incidents of this kind, she called on the government to allocate more resources and manpower for social welfare.

Lui said yesterday's demonstration by 4,000 social workers was the result of understaffing and there being too many cases to handle.

"We need to take a more proactive approach," Lui said.

"The social workers need to spend enough time with each case to root out instances of abuse."

Lui urged the government to set up the long-overdue Child Commission which had already received the support of the Legislative Council.