A former staff member at a Prince Edward foster home was on Friday jailed for 15 months, after she was convicted of abusing a number of children under her care.

Lee Wai-man, 24, was found guilty of nine counts of ill-treatment or neglect towards toddlers at the Children’s Residential Home run by the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children between November and December last year.

Lee had earlier denied throwing the kids onto the ground, arguing that they had just slipped from her hands. She also rejected claims that she had hit them, saying she had only patted their faces or heads lightly to guide them to follow orders.

But Kowloon City magistrate Andrew Mok said Lee had inflicted violence on the young children, and described what she did as despicable.

Mok said he had repeatedly watched the security camera footage and found it to be very different from Lee’s account, adding that the defendant had tried to explain away and beautify violence.

Lee is one of 34 staff members of the foster home charged for allegedly maltreating toddlers under their care.