HK woman, 68, slaps girl, 5, for quarrelling with her grandson in mall, gets 20 days' jail

A 68-year-old woman in Hong Kong has been sentenced to 20 days' jail for slapping a five-year-old girl after the child and her grandson argued over a basketball at a mall play area.

The South China Morning Post reported that Leung Lai-ha pleaded guilty on Nov. 5 to assaulting the girl and admitted that she hit her on impulse.

Physical altercation

Three adults were involved in the physical altercation on Aug. 26, according to SCMP.

They were Leung, her daughter Ng Ka-wun, 34, and the girl's 34-year-old mother, Xu Yang.

According to SCMP, the fight escalated after Leung knocked the girl down.

Mall

An earlier report mentioned that the incident occurred in the atrium of APM shopping mall, located in Hong Kong's Kwun Tong district.

Footage of the slap, circulating online, showed Leung shoving the girl, then slapping her across the face, causing her to fall on the ground.

However, following investigations, the police believed that Leung may have been hit first by the girl's mother.

What happened?

The day of the incident, APM mall had a sports-themed playground at its atrium.

Leung and Ng brought the boy to play there.

Xu had separately brought her five-year-old daughter, The Standard reported.

The dispute began when the two children argued over a basketball installation.

After Leung shoved and slapped the girl, the girl's mother confronted both Leung and Ng, and further scuffling ensued.

A man who intervened at one point went towards Leung and yelled in Cantonese, "Did you just hit a child? I saw you."

Ng also confronted Xu while holding an umbrella and told her, "You cannot leave."

According to The Standard, there is another video that shows Xu allegedly slapping Leung across the face during a heated exchange before Leung slapped the girl.

Charged

This saw all three adults being jointly charged with a count of fighting in a public place before acting principal magistrate Li Chi-ho at Kwun Tong Court, where they admitted to the facts regarding their offence.

Leung, who faced an additional count of common assault, had hit the girl to "teach her a lesson", she told the police.

She added: "The girl was bullying my grandson, so I pushed her and slapped her to teach her a lesson."

SCMP reported that Ng and Xu each claimed the other had started the fight and told police they were acting in self-defence.

Ng was suspended by her employer, insurance provider AIA, following the dispute.

In a statement on Aug. 27, an AIA spokesperson said the company held its advisers to strict standards of professional conduct and did not condone any form of violence.

Medical examination, sentencing

According to the medical examination, the girl reportedly had a swollen cheek, while her mother and Ng also had minor facial injuries. Leung had minor scratches on her arm.

Li said in sentencing that Leung should not have taken her anger out on the girl and gave her a jail sentence and a HK$2,000 (S$326) fine, SCMP reported.

Ng and Xu were each bound over to keep the peace for a year. If either reoffends within that period, she will forfeit HK$1,000 (S$163).