Against Child Abuse Urges Action on Child Neglect, Safeguarding Children's Fundamental Rights

We would like to express our deep concern over a recent incident in which a child was born at home and is yet to obtain a birth certificate. Delaying a newborn's birth registration may signal neglect of the child's basic rights to medical care, identity, and legal safeguards.

What is Child Neglect?

Child neglect refers to a severe or repeated pattern of lack of attention to a child's basic needs that endangers or impairs the child’s health or development, including:

-          Physical neglect: failure to provide necessary food, clothing, shelter

-          Failure to prevent physical injury; lack of appropriate supervision; leaving young children unattended; improper storage of dangerous drugs, etc.

-          Medical neglect: failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment to a child.

-          Educational neglect: failure to provide education or ignoring the educational/training needs arising from a child's disability

-          Emotional neglect: Neglect of the child's emotional needs; lack of psychological care

Indicators relating to child neglect:

-          Malnutrition, under-weight, delayed development, skin problems

-          Frequent school absences

-          Unmet medical/dental needs

-          Lack of sufficient clothing or poor personal hygiene

-          Persistent complaints of hunger

-          Inadequate supervision, or having to take on responsibilities inappropriate for their age

-          Unsanitary or unsafe home conditions, or even homelessness

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms that every child is entitled to fundamental human rights, including the right to a name, the right to identity, the right to health, the right to education, and the right to protection. It further stipulates that all actions concerning children must place the best interests of the child as the primary consideration. The circumstances of this incident may constitute violations of these basic rights.

Our recommendations and reminders to the public:

-          New-borns must be registered in accordance with the law to obtain legal identity documentation. This ensures access to essential rights in healthcare, education, and social welfare.

-          The government and society should strengthen assistance for vulnerable or high-risk families by providing comprehensive prenatal education, medical referrals, parenting support, and other forms of family daily life assistance, to prevent children from being inadequately cared for.

-          Enhance the capacity of the public, service providers, and professionals working with children and adolescents to recognize signs of neglect, intervene early, and provide assistance.

-          When encountering suspected cases of neglect or child abuse, contact relevant service agencies, the Social Welfare Department's Family and Child Protective Services Units in various districts, or the police without delay. Under the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, designated professionals who have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is suffering, or is at real risk of suffering serious harm in the course of their work must report promptly.

ACA strives to provide various preventive and remedial services, parent and community education activities, and also provides a parent-child support hotline: 2755 1122 for inquiries, the seeking of assistance or reporting of suspected child base cases.

Together, let us safeguard every child and ensure they grow up healthily in a safe, caring, and protected environment.