An elderly couple charged with molesting and assaulting a passerby during the Occupy protest in Mong Kok last year walked free from a Hong Kong court yesterday.
The court heard that the assailants have both had cancer, which led to the “lenient” sentence, Kwun Tong magistrate Peony Wong said.
So Suet-ling, 65, received a two-week sentence suspended for one year for assaulting and molesting a woman, surnamed Kwok. Her husband Chan Nam-sing, 72, was fined HKD8,000 for molesting the same victim.
“The victim tried to stop other people from fighting at the time. The two defendants, however, blamed her for meddling in other people’s business,” Wong said.
Wong passed lenient sentences in consideration of the defendants’ history with cancer, though said that their offences could warrant immediate jail terms otherwise, reports the SCMP.
The court heard that So and Chan had survived breast and liver cancer respectively, and they still have regular medical appointments.
In mitigation submissions, the couple’s lawyers said they regretted the pressure the case has put their family as it caught much media attention.
Earlier, the court heard that on October 4, 2014, the couple molested and assaulted the 36-year-old victim at Argyle Street in Mong Kok while she was filming the protest with her mobile phone.
Kwok initially received verbal abuse from the assailants after attempting to diffuse a dispute between parties for and against the Occupy sit-in protest, according to Mingpao.
So grabbed Kwok’s phone after Kwok said she was filming her. When Kwok attempted to get her phone back, Chan used his fist to push her breasts at least three times.
Photo: Youtube still
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