A 12 year old boy became the youngest person convicted of criminal offence connected to Hong Kong’s anti-government demonstration.
The child, who cannot be named for legal reason, was arrested on his way to school the day after a demonstration in October.
He admitted to causing criminal damage by spray-painting slogans on a police station and a metro station. The sentencing is scheduled for next month.
There have been more than 5,000 arrests since the protests started in June.
A number of these have been children between the ages of 12 and 15, although this is the first time one of them has been convicted.Prosecutors told a magistrate’s court that a plain-clothes police officer saw the child spray “damn rogue cops” and “divine annihilation, free HK” on the walls of Mong Kok Police Station and Prince Edward MTR station on October 03.
The officer then followed the boy home and waited outside all night, according to South China Morning Post.
When the child left for school at 07:00 (23:00 GMT) the following morning, the officer intercepted him and conducted a search of his home, where black paint was found.
The boy’s lawyer, Jacqueline Lam, told the court he was held overnight at a police station after his arrest, which had been an “important lesson” for him.
“I ask the court to give him a chance,” she said. “After all, he’s just 12 years of age.” (Source: BBC)