Child Protection Reform: Experts Call for New Offences and Trauma-Informed Courts
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Save the Children Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Committee on Children's Rights have called on the Hong Kong government to go beyond the current legislative amendments and implement systemic reforms to protect children from sexual abuse. Their recommendations come after the Security Bureau's public consultation on improving Hong Kong's sexual offences laws, which ran from July 7 to August 5, 2026 . The advocacy groups propose three key improvements: a new continuous child sexual abuse offence, a crime targeting abuse of trusted positions, and trauma-informed court procedures to prevent re-traumatization of child victims during legal proceedings .
Key Points
- The Security Bureau's consultation from July 7 to August 5 covered improved consent definitions, gender-neutral principles, and a new grooming offence
- The groups recommend creating a "continuous child sexual abuse" offence modelled on Australian state laws, requiring proof of two or more incidents without needing specific details for each occurrence
- A proposed "abuse of position of trust" offence would invalidate consent obtained through power imbalances with adults in authority over children under 18
- For court proceedings, they suggest adopting Britain's "Ground Rules Hearing" system to regulate cross-examination of child witnesses
- The groups advocate for "child-friendly one-stop centres" inspired by Sweden, Britain, and Finland to reduce repeated trauma from multiple agency interviews
- Authors: Wong Shek-hung (黃碩紅), Hong Kong Save the Children Programme Director; Wong Wai-yuk (黃惠玉), Hong Kong Committee on Children's Rights Executive Officer
Why It Matters
These recommendations address fundamental gaps in Hong Kong's child protection framework by recognizing that sexual abuse often occurs repeatedly over months or years, making it difficult for child victims to recall specific dates and details. If implemented, the proposed reforms would align Hong Kong with international best practices and ensure that legal protections translate into practical support for vulnerable children navigating the justice system .
These recommendations address fundamental gaps in Hong Kong's child protection framework by recognizing that sexual abuse often occurs repeatedly over months or years, making it difficult for child victims to recall specific dates and details. If implemented, the proposed reforms would align Hong Kong with international best practices and ensure that legal protections translate into practical support for vulnerable children navigating the justice system .