Hong Kong ‘free birth’ couple hope to reunite with son Danny under gov’t supervision

A Hong Kong couple at the centre of a child welfare saga have said they would be willing to accept government supervision if they can be reunited with their new-born son Danny, whom authorities took into official custody after the infant was born at home unregistered

Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin on June 6, 2026. Photo: Supplied.

Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin said on Thursday that an expert panel convened by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) had recommended that baby Danny should remain in public custody due to a high risk of child neglect.

The pair are part of the free birth movement, in which parents advocate giving birth without a registered medical professional.

The experts at the SWD cited potential risks associated with returning Danny to the couple, including the death of their first daughter, Constance, and the Swedish authorities’ decision to remove the second child, Lily, from their care due to neglect.

The case will be heard on Friday at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts, they added.

However, the couple have said they would seek to reunite with Danny, adding that any government intervention in their family affairs must be “proportionate” and consider the best interests of the infant.

“We wish to take Danny home and accept continued supervision by the SWD,” the pair said in a Chinese-language statement to the media.

“We will provide an address and contact methods to the SWD to ensure that authorities can constantly monitor Danny’s situation,” they said. “We will also ensure that social workers can regularly visit Danny and provide him with appropriate medical care, such as bringing him to hospital or clinic for check-ups every month.”

They added they were looking for suitable Western and Chinese doctors for Danny, who has been hospitalised this week following a respiratory infection.

The Hong Kong couple were arrested on June 2, 2026, on suspicion of child neglect. Photo: Save Lily, via Threads.

“We reiterate that we do not seek to challenge modern medicine. We are only hoping… to find less intrusive but effective treatments so as to reduce unnecessary medical risks,” they said.

The couple were arrested on suspicion of child neglect earlier this month, after they refused to conduct a DNA test for Danny’s birth registration. The infant was born at home unassisted and had not received any medical check-ups since birth.

Danny has been placed under a child protection order and is currently under the custody of the SWD.

The couple have been granted bail and earlier this month received a birth certificate for the boy.

Custody of Lily

The couple caught public attention last month after they launched a campaign called “Save Lily.” They are fighting for the custody of their second child, whom Swedish authorities had taken into custody in 2023 over welfare concerns.

Tsang and Kwan said on Thursday that they were notified by a Swedish court that the country’s social welfare authorities had applied for a permanent transfer of Lily’s custody, and that the proceedings will be handled by written submissions.

The couple quoted the Linköping Social Services as saying that Lily has been living with a local foster family for two years, and that the chances of her reuniting with her parents are slim.

They also accused the Swedish authorities of violating human rights by failing to return Lily to her biological family for an extended period.

The couple cited an emailed reply from the Swedish government on Monday stating that a “dialogue is ongoing” between the Chinese embassy and the country’s migration agency, but noted there is no plan for Lily’s return to Hong Kong.