A young mother in Cheung Chau has been arrested on suspicion of killing her two-month-old baby by shaking him violently, causing a bleed on his brain.

The boy was rushed to St. John Hospital on the island on Tuesday after he fell into a coma, according to a police statement. The infant, who had a scar on his face, died at the hospital hours later.

shakes baby to death
The suspect and her sister (in grey) wait outside St. John Hospital after her baby fell into a coma.

Police arrested the child’s 30-year-old mother on Wednesday after tests found he had a brain haemorrhage. Initial investigations showed the full-time mother had shaken her baby, police said.

The woman was charged with murder, while her 31-year-old sister was charged with misleading police.

According to a report in The Sun newspaper, the suspect was unhappy with her husband, who was said to work long hours in a restaurant. The couple got married less than two years ago, the report said.

Vivienne Zeng is a journalist from China with three years' experience covering Hong Kong and mainland affairs. She has an MA in journalism from the University of Hong Kong. Her work has been featured on outlets such as Al Jazeera+ and MSNBC.