Hong Kong police have arrested the parents of a 10-year-old girl after a viral video showed her carrying heavy bags of beer and being berated by her father as he confronted bystanders concerned about her welfare.
Police said they received a report at about 10.30pm on Tuesday that a girl in a school uniform was seen carrying two bags containing numerous cans of beer to a building at Fu Tai Estate in Tuen Mun.
A spokesman said officers from the New Territories North regional child abuse investigation unit arrested the girl’s father, 38, and mother, 32, in Tuen Mun on Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of ill-treatment following further investigation. The pair remain in custody pending further inquiries.
In a previous update, the force said the 10-year-old girl was found to have no visible injuries. The case has been classified as a “request for police assistance” and referred to the same investigation unit and the Social Welfare Department for follow-up.
Her school, Lutheran Tsang Shing Siu Leun School, said social workers and teachers had intervened after learning of the incident, offering help and counselling to the pupil and her family.
“We love every child and will never tolerate any behaviour that harms children’s rights or their physical and mental health,” the school said on social media.
At least two videos circulating on the social media platform Threads show the girl carrying a large bag of beer in each hand. Her backpack also appears badly torn in both clips.
One video shows her in school uniform walking up a staircase with the bags. The other shows her alongside a man and other children as bystanders question why she is carrying both bags and ask whether another child can help.
During the exchange, the man becomes angry, snatches one of the bags from the girl and calls her “useless”.
The family told media later on Tuesday that the incident was a misunderstanding and the man arrested was said to be the girl’s stepfather.
The man said he asked the girl to carry the beers as a way to build her muscles, adding that he would use other methods in the future.
The girl said it was the first time that she was carrying six packs of beer, each containing four 500ml cans, in one go, and admitted that it was tiring.
“I started from carrying two packs, then gradually to four packs, but I had never carried six packs before,” she told the media.
But she said her parents cared for her and that the damaged backpack she was carrying in the video was not her school bag and she had torn it herself.
The school said it was looking into the incident and would continue to monitor the situation and provide appropriate support to the family.
It also urged the public to stop sharing the footage and related information to protect the child’s privacy and psychological well-being.
The school appealed to the public to give it space to handle the matter and refrain from harassing, pursuing or following the pupil and her family to avoid causing further harm or fear.
The Education Bureau said it was “highly concerned” about the incident, adding that the girl’s school, social workers and police had intervened and were following up on the needs of the pupil and her family.
The school had activated its crisis management team, it added.
The bureau vowed to continue to maintain close contact with the school and provide support. --= SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
