Senior customs officer denies molesting female colleague
SingTao · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A 48-year-old senior Hong Kong Customs officer, Tong Kin-chung (湯建聰), has pleaded not guilty to one count of indecent assault at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts over an alleged incident at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port on 3 December 2025. The complainant, also a senior customs officer and identified as X, told the court from behind a screen that Tong slapped her right waist and right buttock while she was washing dishes in a staff rest area after a meal. She said she told him not to touch her like that because it made her feel uneasy, but he replied in a mocking tone and gave what she described as a lewd, obscene smile. X later reported insomnia and headaches, sought treatment at a civil service clinic the next day, and was diagnosed with an acute stress reaction.
Key Points
- Tong Kin-chung, 48, a senior customs officer, denied one indecent assault charge over an alleged offence inside a room in the customs building at the bridge checkpoint.
- X said the incident happened at about 10pm on 3 December 2025 when she was washing tableware in a staff rest area after eating.
- She testified Tong approached from behind, chatted briefly, then slapped her right waist once and her right buttock once over one to two seconds.
- X said she recoiled to the left, felt frightened and angry, and told him not to pat her like that because she felt very uneasy.
- According to X, Tong responded with words to the effect of “Really? You feel uneasy?” and a grin she described as lewd or obscene.
Why It Matters
The case focuses attention on how alleged sexual misconduct complaints are handled inside disciplined services and other government workplaces in Hong Kong. It also shows how courts may examine a complainant’s immediate reaction, later medical treatment, and prior health records when assessing credibility in indecent assault trials.