Hong Kong worker arrested for stealing colleague’s breast milk

The police has arrested a man who allegedly stole breast milk from a co-worker at the Office of the Communications Authority.

The 42-year-old man surnamed Yiu was arrested at The Wu Chung House in Wan Chai, the South China Morning Post reports.

Police sources confirmed a 26-year-old working mother reported on 3 July that someone had allegedly stolen two bottles of breast milk from the refrigerator. The man was arrested for theft on the same day and will appear in Eastern Court on 21 July.

According to Apple Daily, the mother discovered the two bottles of breast milk which she had put into the refrigerator had been replaced by two bottles of cow's milk. After more investigation, she was able to identify the suspect. After being questioned by management, the suspect admitted to stealing the breast milk and drinking one of the bottles.

The Office of the Communications Authority confirmed the arrest of a male employee who is believed to be related to the case. To prevent incidents like this from happening in the future, the company has purchased a refrigerator with a lock for employees.

The case first came to light on Saturday when the Hong Kong Breastfeeding Mothers’ Association posted details of the case on Facebook.

It issued a "friendly reminder" to help mothers, corporates, and the public learn more about accommodating breastfeeding mothers at work.

In the reminder, the association praises the company involved for reacting quickly to the situation by providing a lockable refrigerator immediately for the breastfeeding mother.

The association hopes all companies can develop relevant policies and guidelines, and provide facilities to support breastfeeding mothers at work, such as providing lactation breaks and rooms for pumping milk.

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