HK court grants 3-year protection order for infant of high-profile parents after child neglect assessment

A Hong Kong court has placed an infant boy under the care of the Social Welfare Department for the next three years, following an assessment that labeled his situation as one of child neglect. 

The decision comes after the boy, the son of a high-profile couple known locally for their unconventional parenting style, was recently rushed to the hospital with a high fever.

The West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts rejected media requests to attend the juvenile court hearing, where a 36-month protection order was issued for the infant, Danny. 

Under the order, the Social Welfare Department has been granted broad discretionary powers to oversee the child’s welfare, living arrangements, medical treatments, and parental visitation rights. 

The boy’s parents, Tsang and Kwan, expressed heartbreak over the ruling outside the courtroom, revealing that they are currently restricted to seeing their son just once a week for less than an hour. 

Despite their distress, the couple stated they do not intend to appeal the decision, believing the likelihood of success is low. 

Instead, they hope to cooperate with authorities to gradually increase their visitation time and eventually regain full custody.

The case stems from an intervention late last month when the Social Welfare Department, acting under the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance, took custody of the baby. 

Although authorities acknowledged that the boy was in good physical condition at the time of his removal, a multidisciplinary case conference concluded that the situation constituted child neglect due to potential future risks, citing the parents' failure to provide standard newborn medical checkups and vaccinations.

The parents argued that they had offered to comply with strict monitoring, including random social worker visits and regular medical updates, to prove they could raise their son safely, but their proposals were rejected.

The couple strongly defended their parenting, pointing out that their son developed a severe fever only after spending three weeks in professional care. 

The father claimed the boy's condition only improved after he and his partner provided round-the-clock bedside care at the hospital, arguing that parental devotion outmatched institutional care. 

The mother criticized the social welfare report for focusing exclusively on potential risks rather than evaluating their strengths as caregivers.

Compounding the family's legal battles, the couple also revealed that authorities in Sweden are currently moving to transfer the custody of their daughter, Lilly.

The father questioned the jurisdiction of the Swedish legal system, arguing that because the entire family holds Hong Kong residency, the matter should be handled exclusively by local courts rather than by Sweden based on the girl's two-year residence there.

In response to the ruling, a spokesperson for the Social Welfare Department emphasized that the government prioritizes child welfare above all else. 

The department confirmed that the infant will remain at a residential child care center to receive professional care in accordance with the court-mandated welfare plan. 

Officials stated that they will continue to provide appropriate support and counseling to the family while submitting regular progress reports to the court.

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