Elderly man arrested five days after assault on female passenger on MTR

An elderly man was arrested on Friday (Jan 9), five days after he allegedly assaulted a female passenger on the MTR on Sunday (Jan 4) evening. The incident reportedly occurred around 9 pm and was captured on video, which circulated online and sparked public outrage.

Footage from the incident shows the elderly man, speaking with a regional accent, attempting to claim a seat and colliding with the passenger. When she did not yield, he reportedly became verbally abusive and struck her. Fellow passengers intervened, with one shouting, “Don’t move your hands!” and another saying, “Sir, do you know where you are? This is Hong Kong, we have the rule of law!” The man reportedly replied, “So what about Hong Kong?”

In an interview, the passenger told media that in addition to physical pain, she has been struggling mentally, experiencing nightmares and fear of leaving home. She also revealed that after signing a contract as a chef at a new restaurant the following day, she was informed within two hours that she did not need to report to work, which she suspects was due to the viral video of the attack.

Police classified the case as “common assault” and assigned it to Wong Tai Sin district officers. The investigation is ongoing.

Read more: Seat clash turns violent: Woman says MTR assault cost her job and peace of mind