Key facts
- A 10-year-old Hong Kong girl filmed carrying heavy bags of beer will be placed in temporary care with her siblings.
- Her parents were arrested on suspicion of child ill-treatment or neglect.
- Welfare assessments found it unsuitable for the children to return home.
- The girl and her siblings were hospitalized for health checks.
- The incident came to light after a video circulated widely on social media on October 6, 2026.
A 10-year-old girl in Hong Kong, filmed struggling to carry heavy bags of beer, will be placed in temporary care with her two siblings. The decision follows welfare assessments that deemed it unsuitable for the children to return to their parents, who have been arrested on suspicion of child ill-treatment or neglect.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han stated on Friday that the three children were undergoing health checks in hospital and were expected to be discharged soon. The incident gained widespread attention after a video of the girl, wearing a torn backpack and carrying two plastic bags filled with beer cans, circulated on social media on October 6, 2026. Passersby reported the girl saying her father did not want help, and in one clip, a man, speculated to be her father, snatched a bag from her and called her 'useless'.
Initially, police reportedly closed an investigation after finding no obvious signs of abuse, with some reports suggesting the girl was 'exercising' and carried the beer voluntarily. However, the case was reclassified and taken over by the Child Abuse Investigation Unit. The girl's school also intervened, providing counseling and support to the family and urging the public to refrain from sharing the videos to avoid causing further distress. The mother was released on bail but later hospitalized due to feeling unwell, while the stepfather remains in custody.