Eleven domestic workers have been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of "child destruction" and illegal abortions. The women, aged in their 30s and 40s, were apprehended after police discovered one of them at her employer's home with a dead fetus that was confirmed to be at least 28 weeks old. They also found suspected abortion pills that linked them to the other ten women. Five have been charged, while five remain on bail and one is in custody for further investigation. If convicted of the most severe charge, child destruction, they could face life imprisonment.
The investigation started in June when paramedics were called to assist a 39-year-old domestic worker who had collapsed at her employer's residence. Inside her room, paramedics discovered the hidden fetus in a laundry basket. The woman confessed to obtaining the pills from another foreign domestic worker, leading to her arrest in July. Subsequent police raids between July 29 and August 8 resulted in the detention of eight more domestic workers. Inspector Lam Ho-yin indicated that this does not seem to be a crime syndicate but involved a 32-year-old worker who allegedly brought the pills from another country for resale.
Abortion is legal in Hong Kong but only under strict conditions, and those found supplying or using drugs for abortion can face up to seven years in prison. Police have urged employers to ensure their domestic workers consult medical professionals if they become pregnant. Hong Kong is home to approximately 368,000 foreign domestic workers, with the majority coming from the Philippines and Indonesia, earning a monthly minimum wage of HK$4,990, or about US$636.
