In recent years, Hong Kong society has repeatedly confronted the realities of sexual violence, sexual harassment and online sexual exploitation. Survivors’ experiences have made it clear that our sexual offences law is no longer adequate for the world we live in today. Against this backdrop, the government has issued a consultation paper on improving the…
Hong Kong churches have been urged to broaden the implementation of anti-sexual harassment policies to better protect members after a survey found signs of spiritual leaders mishandling complaints, including downplaying incidents. A survey by the Hong Kong Christian Council’s Gender Justice Ministry also identified at least 69 victims who reportedly experienced varying degrees of sexual…
While most Hong Kong children find sanctuary at home, Bobo* spent her primary and secondary school years constantly on high alert, always looking for a new place to hide in her flat. “Every single day I had to figure out how to avoid that person, how to find another safe spot inside the flat,” said…
Hong Kong authorities’ proposed overhaul of the city’s sexual offence laws has gone further than suggestions made by a law reform body, but some advocates remain concerned over a legal defence loophole. Advocacy groups have welcomed authorities’ proposals to include a list of circumstances that define situations of no consent to a sexual act, as…
Hong Kong authorities have put forward a sweeping overhaul of the city’s sexual offences laws, such as broadening the definition of rape, introducing new offences covering non-consensual acts involving children and persons with mental impairment, setting a uniform age of consent at 16, and removing gender-specific provisions. The proposals, which follow the Law Reform Commission’s…
Hong Kong authorities have proposed a major overhaul of outdated sexual offences laws, including criminalising same-sex rape, introducing new offences and establishing a uniform age of consent at 16 while removing gender-specific provisions and increasing penalties. In a 59-page consultation paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Monday, the Security Bureau proposed a series of…
Sexual abuse cases against children under 17 jumped 20 per cent in 2025 from the previous year in Hong Kong, with the security minister vowing to tighten laws that will better protect victims by next June. Police figures presented to legislators on Wednesday showed that there were 797 cases of sexual offences against children last…
Including clear, comprehensive definitions of consent in Hong Kong’s reform of sexual offences will provide greater clarity for all parties and better protect victims, as critics have said current interpretations rely on “common sense”, creating legal loopholes. Barrister Stephen Keung Pit-chun said on Saturday that establishing a statutory definition of consent would be key to…
The publisher of the South China Morning Post, Tammy Tam, has been appointed to Hong Kong’s Law Reform Commission as the representative for the media industry for a three-year term starting in March. Tam succeeded May Chan Suk-mei, a news director at Commercial Radio, who completed two three-year terms, with Secretary for Justice Paul Lam…
Artist and disability justice advocate Sophie Cheung Hing-yee was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 13. By 25, she had stopped taking medication, but her doctor would not declare her “recovered”, only that her symptoms were in “remission”. “That label … it felt like a wardrobe I could never step out of, a long, dark…