Ex-husband of Hong Kong socialite goes on trial for murder in case that shocked world

Days after Hong Kong socialite and influencer Abby Choi was reported missing in 2023, some of her remains turned up in a rural village house far from the glitzy skyscrapers and magnificent wealth that were her world.

The death of Choi, who rubbed shoulders with Hong Kong’s showbiz and business elites, sent shockwaves through the wealthy financial hub, where homicides are rare, and made global headlines.

This week her ex-husband, his brother and their father – a former policeman – will go on trial in proceedings expected to last at least 45 days.

Unlike in mainland China, Hong Kong runs on a common-law system, which means a jury will decide whether the trio should be found guilty of Choi’s murder and of preventing the lawful burial of her body.

Murder is punishable by mandatory life imprisonment in Hong Kong.

Police previously said Choi, who was a mother of four, including two children with her ex-husband Alex Kwong, went missing on February 21, 2023.

Three days later, body parts believed to be hers were recovered at a house in the city’s Tai Po district.

Police also found a meat slicer, an electric saw, and some clothing. The search for more evidence took officers to a landfill, where dressed head to toe in protective clothing they picked through piles of trash.

Officers arrested her ex-husband Alex Kwong, his brother Anthony Kwong and their father Kwong Kau shortly after the discovery of Choi’s remains, police said earlier.

The initial trial hearings officially begin on Monday but the opening statements from the prosecution are not expected until later in the week.

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Murder trials in Hong Kong usually start about a year after the alleged offense, but prosecutors previously told a judge that the sheer volume of DNA testing that forensic scientists had to carry out meant it took longer to bring Choi’s case to trial.

Details not previously known – such as whether what prosecutors believe motivated the alleged murder— are expected to be revealed during the trial.

It’s unclear whether any of the defendants will give evidence, or preserve their right to remain silent, when defense lawyers present their arguments.

At the end of both cases, the judge will give directions to the jury, after which all of their electronic devices will be taken and they will be sent to a room to consider their verdict.

Once sequestered, jurors are not allowed any contact with the outside world and - unlike in many US jurisdictions - their deliberations must remain confidential.

At her funeral three years ago , attended by hundreds of friends, relatives, and local celebrities, Choi was remembered as a “great and kind-hearted” friend.

A lover of fashion, she often posed with luxury brands in locations from London to Paris and Shanghai.

Some of her last public appearances included attending the Elie Saab Spring Summer 2023 Haute Couture show, a visit to Paris Fashion Week and being the digital cover model for the luxury magazine L’Officiel Monaco.

Choi was also an animal welfare advocate and had co-founded a charity with other volunteers to rescue injured cats and dogs, her friends previously told CNN.

2023年，香港名媛兼网红蔡慧玲失踪几天后，她的一些遗骸在远离她所处的摩天大楼和巨额财富的乡村房屋中被发现。

与香港演艺界和商界精英交往密切的崔某的死讯震惊了这个富裕的金融中心，因为这里凶杀案很少发生，而且崔某的死讯也成为了全球头条新闻。

本周，她的前夫、他的兄弟和他们的父亲（一名前警察）将接受审判，预计审判将持续至少 45 天。

与中国大陆不同，香港实行普通法制度，这意味着陪审团将决定这三人是否犯有谋杀崔某和妨碍合法埋葬其遗体的罪行。

在香港，谋杀罪的刑罚是强制性终身监禁。

警方此前表示，崔某是四个孩子的母亲，其中两个孩子是她与前夫Alex Kwong所生。她于2023年2月21日失踪。

三天后，在香港大埔区的一所房子里发现了据信是她的遗体残肢。

警方还发现了一台切肉机、一台电锯和一些衣物。为了寻找更多证据，警员们前往一处垃圾填埋场，他们身穿全套防护服，在成堆的垃圾中仔细搜寻。

警方早前表示，在发现崔某的遗体后不久，警方逮捕了她的前夫Alex Kwong、他的兄弟Anthony Kwong和他们的父亲Kwong Kau。

初步审判听证会将于周一正式开始，但预计检方的开庭陈述要到本周晚些时候才会进行。

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香港的谋杀案审判通常在指控的犯罪行为发生一年后开始，但检察官此前告诉法官，由于法医科学家必须进行大量的 DNA 检测，因此将崔某的案件提交审判的时间更长。

审判期间，一些此前不为人知的细节——例如检方认为的谋杀动机——预计将会被披露。

目前尚不清楚被告是否会出庭作证，或者在辩护律师陈述论点时是否会保留保持沉默的权利。

两起案件结束后，法官将向陪审团作出指示，之后所有陪审团成员的电子设备将被没收，他们将被送往一个房间考虑判决。

陪审员一旦被隔离，就不允许与外界有任何接触，而且——与美国许多司法管辖区不同——他们的审议必须保密。

三年前，在崔女士的葬礼上，数百名朋友、亲戚和当地名人出席了葬礼，人们缅怀她是一位“伟大而善良”的朋友。

她热爱时尚，经常与奢侈品牌合作，在伦敦、巴黎、上海等地拍摄广告。

她最近几次公开露面包括出席 Elie Saab 2023 春夏高级定制时装秀、参观巴黎时装周以及担任奢侈杂志《L'Officiel Monaco》的数字封面模特。

据她的朋友此前告诉 CNN，崔女士也是一名动物福利倡导者，她曾与其他志愿者共同创办了一个慈善机构，旨在救助受伤的猫狗。