Pregnant Filipina admits to overstay, gets light sentence

A pregnant Filipino former domestic worker pleaded guilty on Monday to breaching the condition of her stay after overstaying in Hong Kong for five months.

The defendant, named Viola, who is seven months pregnant, faced a hearing at the Shatin Magistrates’ Court. She received a sentence of seven weeks in jail, suspended for two years, sunwebhk.com reported.

The defendant, 32, was free to return to the Philippines so she can deliver her baby back home.

The court heard that the defendant came to Hong Kong on November 10 last year but her contract ended prematurely because the employer’s family moved to the other country.

The defendant was allowed to stay until June 7. She tried to find a new employer but failed and ended up staying illegally after her visa expired. She surrendered to the Immigration Department in Kowloon Bay on November 7.

The defendant said she met a Filipino worker in Hong Kong during this time and the man, who is the baby’s father, had gone back to the Philippines.

The defendant was overjoyed after hearing the sentence and said the man was waiting for her and their baby.

Magistrate Wong Sze-lai said that in consideration of the offender’s condition, she was imposing a suspended term instead of a custodial sentence.