Hong Kong arrests parents refusing DNA test for baby's birth registration

Hong Kong authorities have arrested the parents of a baby without legal identity after they continued to refuse a DNA test for the infant’s birth registration on privacy grounds.

The arrest followed an intervention by the city’s welfare minister on Tuesday, who said authorities had received an email reply from the couple only on Monday evening after five days of unsuccessful attempts to contact them.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Pin-keung revealed on Tuesday afternoon that police had arrested the parents in Cheung Sha Wan over alleged child neglect, and that the infant had been sent to hospital for a health check.

“The individuals claiming to be the parents previously contacted the Immigration Department, asserting that Danny is their biological child born at home. However, during our investigation, we requested evidence to prove their biological relationship with Danny, and the mother has so far been unable to provide any prenatal check-up or medical records,” Tang said.

“She has failed to produce any records showing that the child was taken to a hospital for a medical examination after birth. At this stage, she has also refused to undergo a DNA comparison and has been unable to provide even a single photograph of herself during her pregnancy.”

Tang dismissed the couple’s insistence on refusing the DNA test on privacy grounds, stressing that the matter was strictly about proving their parentage.