Hong Kong home staff arrested for promoting abortion medicine

[ad_1] Eleven home staff have been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of "baby destruction" and unlawful abortions, police have stated.

The ladies, of their 30s and 40s, have been rounded up after one was discovered at her employer's house with a useless foetus, later confirmed to be no less than 28 weeks outdated.

Police additionally discovered medicine they suspected have been abortion tablets - which finally led them to the ten different ladies.

5 have since been charged, whereas 5 are on bail and one has been remanded in custody for additional investigation. If discovered responsible of essentially the most severe cost, baby destruction, they might face a life sentence.

The investigation started in June after paramedics have been referred to as to assist a 39-year-old home employee, who had collapsed at her employer's house.

Paramedics then discovered the foetus hidden in a laundry basket in her room, police stated, which had not been born alive.

When questioned, the lady admitted shopping for the tablets from a pal - one other overseas home employee.

She was arrested in July, with police finally finishing up a collection of raids between 29 July and eight August, throughout which one other eight home staff have been detained.

Inspector Lam Ho-yin, of the Yuen Lengthy district crime squad, stated it didn't seem like a criminal offense syndicate. As an alternative, preliminary findings confirmed "the 32-year-old overseas home helper... introduced them again from one other nation" and had been allegedly promoting them on.

It isn't clear what every lady - whose nationalities police wouldn't reveal - has been accused of.

Abortion is authorized in Hong Kong, however solely underneath strict circumstances - underneath 24 weeks when persevering with with the being pregnant would harm the mom's life, or if well being is in danger, or within the case of extreme foetal abnormality. Over 24 weeks, abortions can solely be carried out if the mom's life is at risk.

Folks discovered responsible of supplying or utilizing medicine for abortion can withstand seven years of jail time.

On Friday, police requested employers to get their home staff to talk to a medical skilled in the event that they have been pregnant.

Hong Kong hosts some 368,000 overseas home staff, in line with authorities statistics. Most - some 55% - come from the Philippines, whereas 42% are from Indonesia.