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Hong Kong to fast-track mandatory child abuse reporting law over boy’s murder
Hong Kong will push ahead with the legislation regarding the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse as cases surge.
After a mother was suspected of murdering her five-year-old son last weekend, authorities have called for a bill to require people to report child abuse cases to be introduced soon.
The victim was found dead in a subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po on Saturday (September 3), with over 30 bruises and scars covering his body.
His mother, a 33-year-old pregnant woman, surnamed Lai, was arrested on a charge of murder, along with the boy’s aunt, 40, who allegedly ignored the abuse.
Speaking in the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, the city’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu expressed his concern and sadness about the boy’s death, calling to move forward with the implementation of the legislative work on mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse cases and that the consultation for relevant bill drafts should be completed as soon as possible.
Chris Sun Yuk-han, Secretary for Labor and Welfare, hosted an online consultation session about the mandatory reporting of child abuse on Tuesday morning, with over 200 relevant workers in childcare sectors presented.
“I have discussed with the Labor and Welfare Bureau to decide that we will conduct cross-department and cross-disciplinary cooperation to confirm the practices and responsibility in the legislation works,” said Lee, “while providing guidelines and training.”
“Multiple consultation sessions will be conducted this month for more opinions from the public, Suk claimed.
Priscilla Lui Tsang Sun-kai, a non-official member of the Commission on Children, suggested the bill should cover all suspected child abuse cases regardless of severity.
Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen called on speeding up the legislative work to advance the submission of the draft to the Legislative Council by the end of the year.
“Besides, explicit regulations should be provided for people to know the process to report child abuse cases,” he said.
The government would take forward the legislative work on a mandatory reporting mechanism for child abuse cases, according to the 2021 Policy Address issued previously by the former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and the target was to introduce the bill into the Legislative Council in the first half of 2023.
The victim was found dead in a subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po on Saturday (September 3), with over 30 bruises and scars covering his body.
His mother, a 33-year-old pregnant woman, surnamed Lai, was arrested on a charge of murder, along with the boy’s aunt, 40, who allegedly ignored the abuse.
Speaking in the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, the city’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu expressed his concern and sadness about the boy’s death, calling to move forward with the implementation of the legislative work on mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse cases and that the consultation for relevant bill drafts should be completed as soon as possible.
Chris Sun Yuk-han, Secretary for Labor and Welfare, hosted an online consultation session about the mandatory reporting of child abuse on Tuesday morning, with over 200 relevant workers in childcare sectors presented.
“I have discussed with the Labor and Welfare Bureau to decide that we will conduct cross-department and cross-disciplinary cooperation to confirm the practices and responsibility in the legislation works,” said Lee, “while providing guidelines and training.”
“Multiple consultation sessions will be conducted this month for more opinions from the public, Suk claimed.
Priscilla Lui Tsang Sun-kai, a non-official member of the Commission on Children, suggested the bill should cover all suspected child abuse cases regardless of severity.
Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen called on speeding up the legislative work to advance the submission of the draft to the Legislative Council by the end of the year.
“Besides, explicit regulations should be provided for people to know the process to report child abuse cases,” he said.
The government would take forward the legislative work on a mandatory reporting mechanism for child abuse cases, according to the 2021 Policy Address issued previously by the former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and the target was to introduce the bill into the Legislative Council in the first half of 2023.
