Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said on Saturday that the decision to seek a court protection order for a baby boy was made in the child's best interests to ensure he grows up in a safe environment.

His comments came after the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court issued a three-year protection order on Friday, placing the baby named Danny under the Social Welfare Department's care.

The order was made after the baby's parents had been arrested earlier on suspicion of child neglect.

Sun said a review of the parents' care proposals had not dissuaded officials from having serious concerns about the couple's reliability.

"We have had great difficulty in the past in our attempts to contact the two of them," he said.

"They wouldn't give us contact details and other information that we needed. We can't just rely on verbal promises. They have to provide some real evidence so we can know.

"As I understand it, they haven't been able to give us that ... there were many aspects that made our professional colleagues unable to feel assured that they could properly care for Danny."

Sun reiterated that, under the law, the decision to seek a protection order is not taken lightly, and that for any child, being cared for by their parents is, of course, the ideal outcome.

However, he expressed concern that in the absence of such a measure, there could be more undesirable outcomes that the public would not want to see.

When asked whether the authorities would make full use of the three-year period, Sun said on a radio programme that if circumstances change, the department would apply to the court for the order to be shortened – but that such a move would be based on professional judgement and after giving careful consideration to Danny's welfare.

Regarding visitation rights, he confirmed that the parents would continue to be able to see Danny once a week, with any future adjustments subject to review.

On Danny's health, Sun said the baby's condition has stabilised following his hospitalisation with a fever, though he remains under observation. Once fully recovered, he would be returned to his place of refuge.




Edited by Robert Kemp