Hong Kong grandmother charged after slapping child in shopping centre altercation

Three women are facing charges following a violent altercation at a children's play area in Hong Kong's APM shopping centre that drew widespread attention after video footage spread online, with police now revealing the grandmother was assaulted before she struck the child.

Officers released fresh investigative details on Thursday showing the 68-year-old woman was slapped first by the five-year-old girl's 34-year-old mother before the widely circulated footage captured the elderly woman forcefully shoving and slapping the child, causing her to lose balance and fall. The incident unfolded around 4.45pm on Wednesday in the Kwun Tong shopping centre's play zone.

Dispute over basketball attraction

Police say the confrontation began over a basketball attraction, though the grandmother was visiting the area with her own 34-year-old daughter and grandson when the clash erupted.

The viral video shows the aftermath: after the elderly woman struck the five-year-old, the girl's mother rushed forward to confront the boy's mother, triggering further scuffles. At one stage, the boy's mother held an umbrella while confronting the girl's mother, declaring: "You cannot leave".

Two men stepped in to intervene at separate moments during the brawl, with one confronting the elderly woman and shouting: "Did you just hit a child? I saw you".

Police arrested all three women at the scene before bringing charges. The case has ignited heated debate across Hong Kong.

Source: South China Morning Post