Piano teacher, 78, jailed one year for indecent assault
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 78-year-old piano teacher, Ng Lap-wai, was sentenced at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts to 12 months in prison after being convicted of indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl at Golden Sound Music Centre in Amoy Plaza, Kowloon Bay, on March 30, 2025.
Sentencing magistrate Mok Tsz-chung said the defendant abused the trust inherent in a teacher-student relationship, used messaging to blur boundaries, and exploited the complainant’s background from a single-parent family and her desire for paternal care.
Key Points
- Ng Lap-wai, 78, a piano teacher, was convicted on one count of indecent assault over an incident at Golden Sound Music Centre in Phase 3, Amoy Plaza, 77 Ngau Tau Kok Road, Kowloon Bay.
- The victim, identified as X, said the assault began about 10 minutes into a lesson after she had studied with Ng for around one and a half years.
- X said Ng touched her leg, tried to hold her foot, reached between her thighs, massaged her shoulders, touched her collarbone, and placed her hand on his genitals.
- She also said he pressed his groin against her back and hugged her at the end of class before saying they would meet again the following week.
- Messages shown in court said Ng told X he would care for her like his own child and asked her to call him “Daddy” when no one was around.
Why It Matters
The ruling underlines that Hong Kong courts may treat abuse of authority in private teaching settings as a serious breach of trust requiring deterrent punishment.
It also shows how digital messages and grooming-like conduct can be weighed alongside physical acts when courts assess the nature and gravity of sexual offences involving minors.