The Police Public Relations Bureau said the 44-year-old maid had been released on bail but was told to report back in late May. It was not immediately known if the worker, who was not identified, was still staying in the employer’s house or had been dismissed.
The officer said the helper was arrested on the evening of May 10 after the girl’s father, surnamed Lee, saw that the child’s hands were swollen when he came home and called the police.
The father suspected that the maid had slapped the child’s hands when they went to the Wanchai Market earlier in the day.
The spokeswoman said the Filipina was booked for ill-treatment of a child, while the girl was taken to hospital for medical treatment. Local media said the victim was in Ruttonjee Hospital.
Hong Kong law considers physical punishment of children a form of child abuse. It is punishable under the Offences Against the Person Ordinance, Cap 212 Section 27, which criminalizes ill-treatment or neglect of a child or young person.
