Appeal for higher alert towards child sex abuse
Appeal for higher alert towards child sex abuse
Bill Tang, right, says in sex abuse cases, the harm to victims may not be readily observed. Photo: RTHK
Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Bill Tang on Wednesday urged the public to be on the lookout for child sex abuse.
His comment came after the Social Welfare Department said it recorded more than 1,500 child abuse cases last year, a slight increase compared with 2023. The latest Child Protection Registry Report also found there were 542 sex abuse cases, making it the second most common type of abuse after physical harm.
Tang said sex abuse cases are much more difficult to ferret out, making it more traumatic for the victims.
'Especially in the past, for typical child abuse cases, we might think the children suffered physical harm, so we would consult a doctor and observe the children's behaviour,' he said.
'But the new trauma is that some harm cannot be easily observed – as in sexual abuse cases.'
He urged all sectors, including service agencies, schools, the government and families, to raise awareness and work together on solutions.
Tang cited, for example, "better family education and better cooperation and coordination between the community, families and schools' as moves in the right direction
Another key move is to enhance awareness on the part of social workers and teachers to child protection, especially against sex or psychological abuse, he added.
Tang also expressed concern about the number of sex offenders under the age of 16, saying that one-fifth of the perpetrators in last year's report belonged to this age group.
The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance will come into effect in January.
Tang, who chaired the bills committee for the new legislation, urged the government to release guidelines as soon as possible and provide training to ensure that professionals have a better understanding of how to handle suspected child abuse cases.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Child sexual abuse cases in Hong Kong nearly double over decade
The number of child sexual abuse cases in Hong Kong has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching more than 500 last year, with over one in five of the perpetrators aged 16 and below, authorities have said amid a rise in harmful incidents targeting youngsters. Lawmakers on Wednesday called for the government to urgently address a rise in the number of younger abusers. They also asked authorities to release the guidelines for the coming mandatory reporting mechanism for suspected child abuse as soon as possible. According to the latest figures from the Social Welfare Department, 1,504 child abuse cases were recorded last year, up from 1,457 in 2023 and 1,439 in 2022. Last year's figure included 595 cases of physical abuse, 522 incidents of sexual abuse, 328 cases of neglect, 43 reports of multiple abuse and another 16 involving psychological abuse. The data showed that 120 of the 542 perpetrators in sexual abuse cases last year were aged 16 and below, accounting for 22 per cent of the tally. Ninety-six of them were aged 17 to 22. Among the perpetrators of sexual abuse, 181 were the victims' schoolmates, friends or peers.
RTHK
16 hours ago
- RTHK
Appeal for higher alert towards child sex abuse
Appeal for higher alert towards child sex abuse Bill Tang, right, says in sex abuse cases, the harm to victims may not be readily observed. Photo: RTHK Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Bill Tang on Wednesday urged the public to be on the lookout for child sex abuse. His comment came after the Social Welfare Department said it recorded more than 1,500 child abuse cases last year, a slight increase compared with 2023. The latest Child Protection Registry Report also found there were 542 sex abuse cases, making it the second most common type of abuse after physical harm. Tang said sex abuse cases are much more difficult to ferret out, making it more traumatic for the victims. 'Especially in the past, for typical child abuse cases, we might think the children suffered physical harm, so we would consult a doctor and observe the children's behaviour,' he said. 'But the new trauma is that some harm cannot be easily observed – as in sexual abuse cases.' He urged all sectors, including service agencies, schools, the government and families, to raise awareness and work together on solutions. Tang cited, for example, "better family education and better cooperation and coordination between the community, families and schools' as moves in the right direction Another key move is to enhance awareness on the part of social workers and teachers to child protection, especially against sex or psychological abuse, he added. Tang also expressed concern about the number of sex offenders under the age of 16, saying that one-fifth of the perpetrators in last year's report belonged to this age group. The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance will come into effect in January. Tang, who chaired the bills committee for the new legislation, urged the government to release guidelines as soon as possible and provide training to ensure that professionals have a better understanding of how to handle suspected child abuse cases.
RTHK
14-06-2025
- RTHK
No arrests made from joint collusion probe: Chris Tang
No arrests made from joint collusion probe: Chris Tang Security chief Chris Tang was speaking on a radio programme. File photo: RTHK No one has so far been arrested in the first known joint operation between Beijing's office overseeing national security matters in Hong Kong and the local police force, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said on Saturday. The Office for Safeguarding National Security had requested assistance from the force's National Security Department for a probe into suspected collusion with foreign forces, including by arranging interviews with people involved in the case. "Those who were being interviewed could be suspects, or witnesses, or someone who could provide information. I want to emphasise that we have not arrested anyone so far," Tang told a Commercial Radio programme. The minister also noted that Beijing authorities were empowered under the city's home-grown security legislation to ask SAR officers for support, to determine if a situation was one of three exceptional circumstances laid out in Article 55 of the Hong Kong National Security Law. Article 55 of the law stipulates that the Office for Safeguarding National Security can exercise jurisdiction if a case is determined to be complex due to the involvement of a foreign country or external elements, or is considered a "serious situation" where the SAR government is unable to enforce to law effectively, or counter a "major and imminent threat to national security". "This time, we have helped to arrange some interviews. Under the current circumstances where Article 55 has not been invoked, the Hong Kong police are responsible for carrying out law enforcement," Tang said. "In order to determine whether there is such a situation, Beijing's office relied on our legal assistance, which was normal and reasonable." National security police recently warned that the mobile app "Reversed Front: Bonfire" has been deemed to be seditious and those who have downloaded it or provided funds to its developer may be in breach of the security legislation. The security chief said the app had shown the "viciousness of soft resistance", adding that it aimed to "corrupt the minds of young people".
