Boys charged with murder over protest clash death

Police escort one of the two boys charged over the death of an elderly cleaner in Sheung Shui last November. Photo: RTHK

Police said on Wednesday that they had charged two boys, aged 16 and 17, with murder after the death of an elderly cleaner last November, at a time when the city was rocked by protests on a daily basis.



The 70-year-old man was allegedly struck in the head by a brick during clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters in Lung Wan Street, Sheung Shui.



The man, who worked via an outsourced company for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, died late on November 14 at the Prince of Wales Hospital.



He was said to have been filming the disturbance when he was hit.



In the middle of December, police announced they had arrested three males and two females aged between 15 and 18 over the death, as well as on suspicion of rioting. But they were not charged and were released on bail.



On Wednesday, police said that six people had been arrested in December and two of these had now been charged with murder, rioting, and wounding with intent.



The teenagers were to appear before Tuen Mun Magistracy.



Police said at a briefing that an HK$800,000 reward for information regarding the death that they had earlier offered is still available.



Senior superintendent Chan Tin-chu said he was sad to see that "recently, many youngsters had broken the law".



"We feel very sad. What worries us most is that some people in society use various excuses to justify these criminal acts and use fake information to mislead young people,” Chan said, without referring to anyone or anything specifically.