Hong Kong court issues three-year good behaviour order in assault case after domestic helper slapped girl for refusing to eat dinner
A domestic helper who admitted to slapping her employer’s eight-year-old daughter while serving dinner was placed under a three-year bind-over order by a Hong Kong court, contingent on good behaviour, after an assault charge against her was dismissed.
Eastern Court heard on Monday that Linne Pramis Pesimo, 48, struck the girl once when she declined to eat her meal on March 20. The girl’s mother, a single parent, was resting in a bedroom at their Wan Chai residence at the time of the incident.
Following the slap, the girl ran to her mother’s room and asked for assistance. The mother reported the matter to police the next day.
Hospital doctors noted redness on the girl’s right cheek.
Pesimo was subsequently charged with one count of assault by those in charge of a child or young person.
Prosecutors informed Principal Magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai that they had verified with the victim’s mother that the charge would be dropped.
Cheung cautioned the defendant to avoid committing any similar criminal acts during the bind-over period, or else she would be required to pay HK$2,000 (US$255) and could face a harsher punishment.