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A Filipino domestic helper in Hong Kong was jailed after she was found guilty of kicking her 7-year-old ward.
The domestic helper, identified only as 30-year-old Geraldine V.O., pleaded guilty to common assault before Eastern Principal Magistrate Peter Law, as per Hong Kong News on March 25. The sentence was handed to Geraldine on March 11.
Geraldine arrived in Hong Kong just last November 2018 and had only been with her employers for three months when she got angry at one of her wards.
The incident happened in the evening of Feb. 22, as per the report, when Geraldine kicked the young boy in the stomach after a fight. Authorities arrested Geraldine while the 7-year-old was brought to a hospital where he was given a clean bill of health.
“She had a dispute with the kid. According to the defendant, the young boy had also scratched and kicked her on more than one occasion,” Geraldine’s lawyer was quoted as saying.
“She is deeply remorseful for what happened. And now she has a criminal record, which may affect any future plan to work again here in Hong Kong,” he added.
The lawyer also asked Judge Law for leniency, urging him to give Geraldine a suspended sentence since she “did not use excessive force.”
Judge Law, however, considered the victim’s age and noted that at 7 years old, he is unable to defend himself from violence.
“Yours is a breach of trust case,” Judge Law said in the report. “[The victim] was only 7 and a child at this age could hardly protect himself from facing violence, even if not a very forceful one.” Cody Cepeda/JB
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