Tuen Mun girl carrying beer bags prompts child welfare concern
A video of an eight-year-old girl in Tuen Mun struggling with heavy bags of beer sparked child welfare fears. A district councillor said a home visit found no abuse, but the school will follow up amid heightened sensitivity after a fatal child abuse case in the area.
A video circulating on social media on Tuesday night showed a girl aged about eight or nine in school uniform struggling alone up a sloping pedestrian tunnel in Fu Tai Estate, Tuen Mun, carrying two heavy plastic bags of beer. In the clip, a can of beer suddenly fell from her backpack. When a neighbour picked it up, they saw the bags appeared to contain at least 20 cans of beer, a weight too heavy for a young girl. She had to put the bags down to rest midway.
When she reached the estate's pedestrian area, her father was seen holding a young boy and walking ahead with another younger girl in school uniform. When neighbours questioned the father about letting his daughter carry such heavy items alone, he reportedly turned back, took one of the bags and left abruptly, prompting fears the girl might be mistreated. Neighbours repeatedly asked the girl where she lived and whether anyone hit her, and offered to help carry the bags, but she declined, saying 'Dad won't allow it, I'll carry it myself.'
Netizens expressed anger and concern, with some estimating the bags weighed at least 30 pounds. Many called on the Social Welfare Department and other authorities to intervene. Tuen Mun district councillor Manwell Chan said he received more than a dozen calls and messages within about an hour and went to the scene to speak to neighbours.
The two girls attend Hong Kong Lutheran Church Tsang Shing Siu Leun School, with the girl carrying the beer being the elder sister in Primary 3 or 4. Chan, along with the vice-principal, school social worker and police, made an emergency home visit within two hours, with a female officer speaking to the girl alone. Chan quoted the girl as saying her mother was unwell and, after the family went out shopping, she volunteered to carry two bags of beer because her father was busy with her younger brother. She was not scolded or hit after returning home and was in good condition.
Chan believed it was a misunderstanding but said the school would continue to follow up. He noted that residents have become more sensitive to suspected inadequate care since the fatal child abuse case of five-year-old Chan Sui-lam in Tuen Mun, which he said was not a bad thing. The priority is ensuring the girl's safety and having the school follow up.