A Hong Kong court has ordered that a baby boy remain under state protection for three years following concerns over child welfare. The ruling comes as the child’s family is also involved in a separate custody case in Sweden concerning another child, Hong Kong Free Press reports.
The decision was handed down by the Juvenile Court at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts during a closed-door hearing on Friday, according to the child’s parents.
“The court has ordered that the infant’s protection order be extended for three years,” said parents Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin after the hearing.
Their son, Danny, is currently under the custody of Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department (SWD) after the couple was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of child neglect.
Authorities have said the child had “not received any medical check-ups since birth and was not registered,” raising concerns about his welfare and legal status.
The case is linked to the couple’s involvement in the so-called free birth movement, which promotes childbirth without medical supervision or formal registration.
An expert panel under the SWD has reportedly concluded that there is a “high risk of child neglect,” recommending that Danny remain in state care.
The parents said they had proposed supervised arrangements that could allow reunification, but claim the proposal was rejected.
“The SWD rejected their proposal,” they said, adding that they will not appeal the ruling, though they still hope to be reunited with their son.
Under the current arrangement, they are allowed to visit Danny once a week.
The Hong Kong case is separate from the custody proceedings in Sweden involving the couple’s other child, Lily, who has been in foster care since 2023.
