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Hong Kong officer held over indecent assault of pregnant shop employee
Senior inspector with the crime prevention bureau is accused of kissing and molesting the victim, who is three months pregnant.
An off-duty police inspector has been arrested after being accused of indecently assaulting a pregnant employee in a toy shop in Hong Kong.
The senior inspector with the crime prevention bureau had been suspended from duty, police said on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old officer visited the toy shop in a Tsim Sha Tsui shopping centre at about 11pm on Tuesday. There was no one else at the store save for the manager, a woman who was three months pregnant.
The source said the officer had gone for a drink alone before he headed to the shop, where he allegedly kissed and molested the victim.
The woman then called her husband, who arrived soon after and stopped the officer before making a report to police.
A strong smell of alcohol could be detected from the senior inspector while he was being questioned, the source said. The officer complained of feeling unwell and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Detectives from Yau Tsim criminal investigation unit detained him on suspicion of indecent assault. Officers had also checked surveillance footage from the shop to gather evidence.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the senior inspector was still being held for questioning and no charge had been laid.
Investigation showed the officer knew the victim because he was a frequent customer at the shop, another source said.
The senior inspector was formerly attached to the force’s public relations branch before being moved to the crime prevention bureau earlier this year. His wife is also a senior inspector with the force.
The pregnant woman was taken to the same hospital to be treated for shock, police said.
The force stressed it paid great attention to the conduct of officers and would not tolerate any illegal acts by personnel.
The case comes just days after two police officers were arrested on suspicion of using false documents to obtain information on cases they were not working on. The pair were a station sergeant and a constable from the anti-triad squad of Yau Tsim District.
Officers from the organised crime and triad bureau went to the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station to check surveillance camera footage and interviewed other members of the anti-triad squad before arresting the pair on Saturday.
The senior inspector with the crime prevention bureau had been suspended from duty, police said on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old officer visited the toy shop in a Tsim Sha Tsui shopping centre at about 11pm on Tuesday. There was no one else at the store save for the manager, a woman who was three months pregnant.
The source said the officer had gone for a drink alone before he headed to the shop, where he allegedly kissed and molested the victim.
The woman then called her husband, who arrived soon after and stopped the officer before making a report to police.
A strong smell of alcohol could be detected from the senior inspector while he was being questioned, the source said. The officer complained of feeling unwell and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Detectives from Yau Tsim criminal investigation unit detained him on suspicion of indecent assault. Officers had also checked surveillance footage from the shop to gather evidence.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the senior inspector was still being held for questioning and no charge had been laid.
Investigation showed the officer knew the victim because he was a frequent customer at the shop, another source said.
The senior inspector was formerly attached to the force’s public relations branch before being moved to the crime prevention bureau earlier this year. His wife is also a senior inspector with the force.
The pregnant woman was taken to the same hospital to be treated for shock, police said.
The force stressed it paid great attention to the conduct of officers and would not tolerate any illegal acts by personnel.
The case comes just days after two police officers were arrested on suspicion of using false documents to obtain information on cases they were not working on. The pair were a station sergeant and a constable from the anti-triad squad of Yau Tsim District.
Officers from the organised crime and triad bureau went to the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station to check surveillance camera footage and interviewed other members of the anti-triad squad before arresting the pair on Saturday.
