Hong Kong News
Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
Real, Diverse, Unbiased.
Kindergartens pledged to follow new anti-child abuse standards
Two kindergartens in Hong Kong pledged to follow new “child safeguard standards” established by children welfare organization Plan International Hong Kong to protect children from abuse.
The 20 standards came as abuse cases in Children’s Residential Home in Mong Kok under Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children unveiled since December last year which involved 40 victims.
34 staff members were arrested, among whom 27 were prosecuted. One of the former staff members, Barbara Heung Wing-shan, 46, last Wednesday was sentenced to four months in jail after she pleaded guilty to ill-treatment by those in charge of children.
The scandal also led to Social Welfare Department’s deducting the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children’s funds by HK$1.8 million.
“The situation is alarming and reveals the lack of relevant policy to prevent child abuse in child-related organizations,” read Plan’s statement.
The NGO therefore established a “Child Safeguard Policy”, which it has referred to relevant laws and guidelines abroad, as there is no such official guideline in Hong Kong. It covers four dimensions, namely “Policy”, “Procedure”, “People &Culture” and “Accountability”.
The 20-standard policy stated the inappropriate behaviors to children and required the organization to have clear records on suspected child abuse cases.
The policy also proposed a report mechanism, which allows staff members to report suspicious child abuse cases without any concern.
The policy was set to be first implemented among ten kindergartens in Hong Kong and would be extended among all kindergartens in the city.
Plan’s Chief Executive Kanie Siu Mei-kuen said, “The mission of Child Safeguarding Policy is to minimize the risk of harm.”
“As an organization to serve children, we are obligated to take every possible measure morally and legally to create a safe environment for them, to keep children away from any potential harms or abuses caused by the organization, and to take appropriate actions in response to threats against children’s safety within the organization,” she said.
She added that the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children had been invited to establish their regulations according to the charter, but the society had not yet responded.
Two kindergartens under the Five District Business Welfare Association - Five Districts Business Welfare Association Cheung Chuk Shan Nursery School/Kindergarten in Diamond Hill and Five Districts Business Welfare Association Nursery School/Kindergarten in Wong Tai Sin, had taken a lead and established their child protection measures based on the 20 standards and with the assistance from Plan.
Plan went on that the child abuse offence in the care home of “failure to protect” had not yet been proceeded to legislation.
Speaking on the press conference of the policy via a video call yesterday, social welfare sector lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen said he believed no lawmaker would object to legislating the offence of “failure to protect” or a compulsory report mechanism.
He added that parents also play important roles in child abuse issues, and he suggested establishing a charter on children protection for parents.
34 staff members were arrested, among whom 27 were prosecuted. One of the former staff members, Barbara Heung Wing-shan, 46, last Wednesday was sentenced to four months in jail after she pleaded guilty to ill-treatment by those in charge of children.
The scandal also led to Social Welfare Department’s deducting the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children’s funds by HK$1.8 million.
“The situation is alarming and reveals the lack of relevant policy to prevent child abuse in child-related organizations,” read Plan’s statement.
The NGO therefore established a “Child Safeguard Policy”, which it has referred to relevant laws and guidelines abroad, as there is no such official guideline in Hong Kong. It covers four dimensions, namely “Policy”, “Procedure”, “People &Culture” and “Accountability”.
The 20-standard policy stated the inappropriate behaviors to children and required the organization to have clear records on suspected child abuse cases.
The policy also proposed a report mechanism, which allows staff members to report suspicious child abuse cases without any concern.
The policy was set to be first implemented among ten kindergartens in Hong Kong and would be extended among all kindergartens in the city.
Plan’s Chief Executive Kanie Siu Mei-kuen said, “The mission of Child Safeguarding Policy is to minimize the risk of harm.”
“As an organization to serve children, we are obligated to take every possible measure morally and legally to create a safe environment for them, to keep children away from any potential harms or abuses caused by the organization, and to take appropriate actions in response to threats against children’s safety within the organization,” she said.
She added that the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children had been invited to establish their regulations according to the charter, but the society had not yet responded.
Two kindergartens under the Five District Business Welfare Association - Five Districts Business Welfare Association Cheung Chuk Shan Nursery School/Kindergarten in Diamond Hill and Five Districts Business Welfare Association Nursery School/Kindergarten in Wong Tai Sin, had taken a lead and established their child protection measures based on the 20 standards and with the assistance from Plan.
Plan went on that the child abuse offence in the care home of “failure to protect” had not yet been proceeded to legislation.
Speaking on the press conference of the policy via a video call yesterday, social welfare sector lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen said he believed no lawmaker would object to legislating the offence of “failure to protect” or a compulsory report mechanism.
He added that parents also play important roles in child abuse issues, and he suggested establishing a charter on children protection for parents.
