A Hong Kong teenager has been sentenced to eight years’ jail for splashing corrosive liquid on a Singaporean woman in 2025, Hong Kong media reported. The attack left her with second-degree burns.
Hong Kong High Court Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai said on Oct 29 that Anson Kew’s actions on June 9, 2025, had caused a “lifelong impact” on the victim, 36-year-old Jiang Wen, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Jiang, a tourist, was getting into a car in Wan Chai when Kew, then 17, threw a corrosive solution on her.
She screamed in agony and collapsed after experiencing intense burning on her face and legs, while Kew, who was dressed in black and wearing a face mask, fled the scene, according to local media reports.
Kew turned himself in at a police station two days after the incident but refused to answer questions and did not explain the attack.
Police investigations found that Kew had surveyed the location several days before carrying out the attack.
On Oct 15, Kew, now 19, pleaded guilty at the High Court to one count of “sprinkling corrosive liquid with intent to cause grievous bodily harm”.
Citing background reports, the judge said on Oct 29 that Kew had told a probation officer he committed the offence in return for a HK$10,000 (S$1,600) payment, without elaborating.
Chan also said the teenager had acted purely for financial gain and showed limited potential for rehabilitation, reported The Standard, an English-language newspaper.
“He admitted that he committed the offence not because of anything but for the desire for money,” the judge said, according to SCMP.
The report, read by Chan, also noted that Kew had left school after Secondary 4, was associated with bad company and had a prior conviction for theft at the age of 14.
He had also breached a probation order, resulting in his placement at a youth correctional facility, before later developing a drug habit.
The report added that Kew had a history of drug use and links to triad societies, although he denied being a member.
Kew’s actions had left the victim with a physical and psychological impact, the judge added.
Medical reports indicated that Jiang had chemical burns covering 10% of her body, including her feet, upper limbs and face. Her legs suffered second-degree burns.
She underwent surgery and multiple skin grafting procedures and returned to Singapore to continue her treatment after two months in hospital. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
