HK court orders maid detained in care for killing young boy 

A 24-year-old Indian domestic worker, who had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter after attacking her employer’s son, was ordered to be treated at a hospital for an indefinite period by the High Court on Tuesday.

Deputy High Court Judge Gareth Lugar-Mawson said Arshdeep Kaur had a mental illness and needed to be treated, adding that the ruling was also to protect society, the Sing Tao Daily reported.

Arshdeep had been employed by an Indian couple in March 2016 to take care of their two-and-half-year-old son, Singh Ekamjot, at their home in Tin Shui Wai in the New Territories. The tragedy took place on October 24.

The boy’s mother called a neighbor for help after a surveillance camera at the flat was turned off. The neighbor sent a helper to check and the boy was found unconscious on a bed.

The court earlier heard that the defendant took the boy to the sitting room and turned off the surveillance camera. She then took the boy back to the bedroom and strangled him.

After her arrest, Arshdeep said she did not know why she committed the crime and said she had a mental problem and forgot what happened. She also likened the experience to being possessed by spirits.

Medical reports presented by the prosecution showed she had been suffering from hallucinations and acute mental illness at the time of the crime.

The defense lawyer said the case was a tragedy and no words could compensate for the loss of the employer’s child, but the defendant was genuinely remorseful.

Read: Domestic worker pleads guilty to manslaughter of child