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Man charged with neglect after baby dies in bed

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  1. #1

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    Man charged with neglect after baby dies in bed

    Saw this in the paper this morning. Based on information in the article a father shared a bed with his 9month old baby because the baby wouldn't sleep in his cot. This had been happening for a while but it seems the baby suffocated.

    It's a tragedy but 'child neglect' it most certainly is not. What is wrong with hk police? A maid gets tortured and they do nothing until it hits the press. A baby dies in a tragic accident and they arrest the father.

    There may be more to this story that hasn't been reported yet. But to charge someone with neglect for having their baby in their bed is outrageous. People have slept next to their babies since there have been babies to sleep next to.


  2. #2

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    Police can investigate matters but to arrest the father, they need a reasonable suspicion of child neglect.

    I hate the word and connotation of SIDS but that's beside the point. It must be awful for the family. An arrest just makes things so much worse.


  3. #3

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    Noted.

    Though I think arresting him for neglect was also taking it too far. Question him certainly. But arrest. No.


  4. #4

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    I guess it might depend on if he had been drinking/smoking or taking drugs. Reading some related articles, it seems that co-sleeping if you do any of these things is a risk but not normally. If the guy was off his head, perhaps that's the reason for the arrest not the sleeping per se. Only speculation until one has more info.


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by usehername:
    Though I think arresting him for neglect was also taking it too far. Question him certainly. But arrest. No.
    Normal procedure.

    You arrest someone so you can drag them into the station in order to interview (and intimidate) to get the facts from one side. Charge only happens if they find enough evidence of a crime (or a confession)...

  6. #6

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    You can question someone without arresting them.

    iliketurtles likes this.

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    Not wanting to take this thread off course, but the "cow murdering Western bitch" was eventually charged and appeared in court last November, case was adjourned till 24th, nothing more reported.

    I think this is a case of we don't have enough facts to be critical of the police yet. I could conceive of instances where a parent's failure to ensure a baby was safe when co-sleeping could be neglect.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    I guess it might depend on if he had been drinking/smoking or taking drugs. Reading some related articles, it seems that co-sleeping if you do any of these things is a risk but not normally. If the guy was off his head, perhaps that's the reason for the arrest not the sleeping per se. Only speculation until one has more info.
    True- though there was nothing in the paper to suggest that and hk media do love their juicy details, so I would have expected to have seen it implied somewhere.

    We shall see what unfolds. But at the moment it seems like the police could have been more tactful.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by usehername:
    You can question someone without arresting them.
    Yes, but....
    1) you cannot make them come "down to the station"
    2) (depending on jurisdiction) there are also rules and procedures around Miranda/Caution that apply that may make the questions not admissible later on. Any lawyers in the house that can explain this point better?

  10. #10

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    Yes but...

    Unless there was some evidence that he killed the baby deliberately/is a danger to the public, which isn't what the article suggests, i would have thought they could have given him a couple days to begin to come to terms with what happened before marching him to the station. He's just lost his baby, how coherent is he going to be? And for 'child neglect'? 'Manslaughter' I could perhaps understand if they must give a reason.

    Anyway, just seems wrong to me. Poor family.


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