Abuse home raided as two more charged

Police returned to the Children's Residential Home in Mong Kok to seize evidence over a case in which 16 staff have been charged with abusing at least 29 children under their care.

West Kowloon regional crime squad officers returned to the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children facility at 1pm yesterday for a follow-up investigation and to collect evidence that they hauled away in bags.

Officers earlier said around two months would be needed to examine the 60,000 hours of security footage collected from the children's home, adding that all 29 children suspected to have been abused have been sent to hospital.

Meanwhile, two of the 16 suspects were charged with assaulting children and appeared before acting principal magistrate Peony Wong Nga-yan in a Kowloon City court yesterday.

T M Y, aged 25, and C L C, 28 - both childcare workers - have each been charged with one count of assault by those in charge of a child or young person.

The two were accused of willfully assaulting a one-year-old girl AA and a one-year-old boy G between November 21 and 22 in a manner likely to cause the toddlers unnecessary suffering while being responsible for them.

No plea was taken from the two.

With the prosecution not objecting, Wong agreed to cash bail of HK$10,000 each, but the two must follow certain conditions, including being banned from leaving Hong Kong.

They have to report back to police twice a week and are banned from contacting prosecution witnesses, entering the children's home or taking up any jobs that involve minding children.

Their case was adjourned to February 21 with mention while awaiting further investigation. It will be handled alongside cases of the other 14 defendants related to the suspected child abuse.
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