Coach who slapped boy, 8, at Hong Kong training camp spared criminal charges
A coach accused of slapping an eight-year-old boy and ordering him to stand under the hot sun during a training camp in Hong Kong has been spared from criminal prosecution after she agreed to a three-year good behaviour bond. Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak on Wednesday imposed the bond on Zhao Yiqun, 51, who faced two child abuse charges after she was alleged to have mistreated the boy during…
In a surprising turn of events, a 51-year-old coach accused of slapping and mistreating an eight-year-old boy during a Hong Kong training camp will not face criminal charges. Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak granted Zhao Yiqun, the accused, a three-year good behavior bond instead of proceeding with two child abuse charges. The incident allegedly occurred on August 8, 2024, at the Jockey Club Ming Fai Camp on Cheung Chau island, where the coach allegedly subjected the young boy to 15-25 minutes of standing in the scorching sun, reaching temperatures of 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 Fahrenheit), and slapped the boy on his right cheek.
The boy reported the abuse to his mother upon returning home from the camp. Zhao's lawyer informed the Chief Magistrate that the Department of Justice would not continue the prosecution after an agreement was reached between the parties. The good behavior bond, also known as recognizance, requires Zhao to refrain from committing any similar criminal acts within the next three years or face a HK$2,000 (US$255) fine and more severe penalties.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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