Hong Kong NGO urges pregnant domestic workers to seek help after woman arrested over baby found in bin

2026-03-27 - 10:32

A Hong Kong NGO has urged domestic workers to seek help if they have unplanned pregnancies, after a 34-year-old woman was arrested over the death of a newborn boy found in a rubbish bin at a shopping mall this week. Lee Theatre Plaza in Causeway Bay. File photo: Wikicommons. Police arrested a woman, 34, in the Eastern district on Thursday on suspicion of “concealing a child’s birth.” She has been detained for questioning. On Monday, a cleaner discovered the newborn inside a bin in a women’s restroom at Lee Theatre Plaza in Causeway Bay. The boy – with an umbilical cord still attached – was later declared dead at Ruttonjee Hospital. Police said at that time that the case was classified as “pending infanticide” and an autopsy would be performed. The case is being investigated by the Wan Chai district crime squad. Local media reported that the woman arrested is an Indonesian domestic worker with an Hong Kong ID, and that she is the mother of the infant. Domestic workers in Central. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Pathfinders, an NGO that supports pregnant migrant mothers and their children, said its team was saddened by the news. “For many welcoming a child is a wonderful and exciting time. However, for an [migrant domestic worker] this moment often brings overwhelming fear and anxiety; especially when the pregnancy is unplanned,” the NGO said in a social media post. It urged migrant mothers to seek help during moments of crisis, adding that it can provide support on a range of matters including medical, emotional and employment issues. “Please know you are not alone. We’re are here to support every step and to help you find a path forward,” the NGO said.