Hong Kong court dismisses ‘free birth’ father’s ‘inappropriate’ bid to regain custody of baby Danny from gov’t

A Hong Kong court has rejected a father's "inappropriate" request to regain custody of his infant son, Danny, who was born at home and is currently under government supervision. The couple, Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin, belong to the free birth movement, which advocates for unassisted childbirth. Authorities claim Danny has not received any medical check-ups since his birth and is not registered.

In June, a three-year protection order was issued for Danny after the parents were arrested on suspicion of child neglect. Danny has since been under the supervision of the Social Welfare Department. However, Tsang filed a habeas corpus application this month, claiming that his son had suffered "torture," "arbitrary detention," and an "unfair trial."

The High Court dismissed the application, ruling that Danny was not under detention, as he was committed to a government-appointed organization through a child protection order. The judge stated that the application was "entirely inappropriate" and that none of the father's grounds had merit. Tsang intends to appeal the child protection order to the magistrates' courts, with the next hearing scheduled for August 28.

The family gained public attention earlier this year through their "Save Lily" campaign, fighting for custody of their other child, Lily, who was taken by Swedish authorities in 2023 over welfare concerns.