Deep Dive: Hongkongers push to ensure safety at care homes following worker’s arrest for sexual assault

A staff member at a care home has been arrested and charged with raping a 21-year-old woman and sexually assaulting a 20-year-old man.

The 38-year-old man worked at Kwong Fuk Hostel of Hong Chi Pinehill Integrated Vocational Training Centre in Tai Po. It is run by the Hong Chi Association. This is the city’s largest non-governmental organisation serving people with mental disabilities.

The alleged incidents happened in August. They were made public in separate statements by the association and the Social Welfare Department at the end of October.

Some criticised the delay in revealing the information. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the government had to choose the right time to provide details about the case.

“A very important thing is to ensure that the emotions and mental state of the two victims and their families are stable and that they can accept the disclosure of the incident,” he said.

Sun said authorities will require the association to renew its licence yearly for care facilities housing people with disabilities. Previously, this was done every three years.

Hong Kong to set minimum requirements for subdivided flats, says John Lee in policy address

The Social Welfare Department asked the organisation to conduct a thorough investigation. It must also submit improvement plans to prevent incidents and protect residents’ well-being.

The Hong Chi Association said it had established an independent review committee to examine the case. The committee will review existing protective measures for residents and recommend steps to prevent violations in the future.

The NGO said it did not intend to conceal the incidents. It added that the organisation had offered psychological counselling to those affected. It also sent social workers to be with them during the police investigation.

In addition, the NGO said it had implemented new measures. It will increase staffing levels, the frequency and duration of monitoring, and improve staff training.

Authorities announced they had updated a code of practice to improve surveillance monitoring standards earlier in October. The code requires care homes for those with disabilities to clearly assign staff and set time periods for them to observe real-time CCTV footage.
Staff writers

Question prompts

1. Which of the following reasons were not cited by authorities for the delay in announcing details of the alleged sexual assault cases involving Hong Chi Association?

(1) The suspect had not been identified.
(2) The Social Welfare Department wanted to minimise public concerns.
(3) Authorities had not received the report from Hong Chi Association at the time.
(4) To ensure the emotional stability of the victims and their families.

A. (1), (2) only
B. (1), (3) only
C. (2), (3), (4) only
D. All of the above

2. List TWO actions initiated by Hong Kong authorities and the Hong Chi Association to address cases of abuse in care homes.

3. In your opinion, has the government done enough to protect residents living in these care homes? Explain using News and Glossary.

Question prompts

1. What facility is pictured in this photo? Why has it been in the news?

2. What do you think of the measures introduced by the Hong Chi Association to prevent future cases of abuse? Will they be effective? Explain using News and your own knowledge.

• Concern groups and lawmakers questioned the delay in revealing information about an alleged case of sexual abuse in a local care home

• Decision to flag a case should depend on its severity, welfare secretary argues

The Hong Kong government has sent letters to four other care homes for people with disabilities, warning them to follow rules aimed at preventing abuse. Public concerns have arisen after the arrest of an employee at a fifth facility on suspicion of rape.

Official warnings were issued after the facilities were found to have failed to formulate effective measures to protect residents from abuse. This violated the requirements of the Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities).

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han argued that authorities do not need to draw public attention to every violation of codes of practice at care homes, claiming that the decision to flag a case should largely depend on the severity of the transgression.

“We believe that not all cases need to be fully disclosed to the public, as was done with the Hong Chi Association case,” he said. “Some violations are more technical and partial, and it is appropriate for us to handle them according to procedures.”

Hong Kong fights fake qualifications in university admissions

Concern groups and lawmakers questioned authorities’ two-month delay in announcing the details of the assault, alleged to have taken place in August. They called for better supervision at the facilities and a system that would promptly publicise transgressions of rules.

Lawmaker Stanley Li Sai-wing said the delay highlighted the necessity of reviewing the mechanism governing reports of incidents by service organisations.

“During this period, residents at the care facility and their families were not informed of the incident, which was also unfair to service users,” he said.

Meanwhile, Renee Lai Pui-mei, chairwoman of the Association of Parents of the Severely Mentally Handicapped, urged care homes to change their “closed” pandemic-era management model posing restrictions on visit times and areas, as it may leave abuse cases undetected.

Tsui Chi-man, an assistant professor at the department of rehabilitation sciences at Polytechnic University, said people with moderate intellectual abilities had trouble verbally expressing their needs or seeking help.

He said regular observation by staff members at care facilities could identify any unusual behaviour or emotions that could be a sign of possible abuse, and he urged the government and care homes to step up employee training.

Tsui highlighted the importance of teaching residents with mental disabilities how to detect and resist sexual attacks and seek help. He called on the government, academics and frontline workers to establish guidelines tailor-made for people with intellectual disabilities.
Staff writers

Question prompts

1. According to Issue, why did the government send official warnings to five care homes?

2. Using Issue, explain TWO suggestions from concern groups and experts for ensuring safety at Hong Kong care homes.

3. To what extent do you agree with Tsui’s suggestions for helping those with intellectual disabilities protect themselves from sexual abuse? Explain using News and Issue.

Question prompts

1. According to News and Issue, how did the public react to the delay in revealing information about the alleged sexual assault case linked with Hong Chi Association?

2. To what extent do you agree with Sun’s statement that not all violations need to be publicised? Explain using Issue and your own knowledge.

• Social Welfare Department: Hong Kong’s government agency focused on providing services for the elderly, disabled, young people and low-income residents

• disclosure: to reveal information or make it publicly known

• staffing levels: the number of employees needed to meet an organisation’s operational requirements effectively.

• surveillance monitoring: involves the observation and tracking of individuals or activities using various methods, such as cameras, sensors, or software.

• Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes: government regulations that care homes must follow to ensure residents’ physical, mental and emotional safety. The guidelines for people with disabilities cover topics such as staffing requirements and treatment of residents.

• official warnings: Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department sent notices to five care homes serving people with intellectual disabilities or those who have dealt with mental health issues. The letters addressed the department’s concerns that these facilities were not meeting standards to prevent the abuse of residents.

1. B

2. Authorities will require the association to renew its licence for its care homes every year instead of every three years. The Social Welfare Department also asked the organisation to conduct a thorough investigation and submit improvement plans to prevent future incidents. (accept all reasonable answers)

3. The Hong Kong government has taken prompt action to address the cases of abuse that have surfaced. It sent official warning letters to five care homes, warning these facilities that they should be responsible for protecting persons with disabilities from any kind of abuse. They will also require the Hong Chi Association to investigate the incident and implement new safeguards. In addition, welfare authorities have updated a code of practice to improve surveillance monitoring standards. These measures indicate that the government is taking the issue seriously. (accept all reasonable answers)

1. This is the Hong Chi Pinehill Integrated Vocational Training Centre Kwong Fuk Hostel in Tai Po, run by the largest NGO service provider for those with intellectual disabilities. It has been in the news because, in August, a 38-year-old male worker was arrested and charged with raping a 21-year-old woman and sexually assaulting a 20-year-old man.

2. I think the measures will be effective. The association said it had established an independent review committee, which would review existing protective measures for residents and recommend steps to prevent violations in the future. It also increased staffing levels, the frequency and duration of surveillance monitoring, and improved staff training.

1. The government issued official warnings to care homes that were found to have failed to formulate effective measures to protect residents from abuse. This violates the requirements of the Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities).

2. According to experts and concern groups, care homes must loosen their Covid-era restrictions on visit times and areas, as it makes it difficult to detect cases of abuse. They called for better supervision at the facilities and a system that would promptly publicise transgressions of rules. (accept all reasonable answers)

3. To a large extent, I agree with Tsui’s suggestions. He pointed out how vulnerable residents with intellectual abilities are, as they often struggle with verbally expressing their needs or seeking help. Regular observation by staff members at care facilities is crucial, as it could identify any unusual behaviour or emotions that could be a sign of possible abuse.
Tsui also highlighted the importance of teaching residents with mental disabilities how to detect and resist sexual attacks and then seek help. This could go a long way towards protecting residents. (accept all reasonable answers)

1. Concern groups and lawmakers were sceptical about authorities’ two-month delay in announcing the details of the assault. They called for a system to promptly publicise transgressions.
2. I do not agree with Sun’s decision to delay the announcement. It is crucial to bring to light cases of abuse in these homes to protect their residents. As Tsui noted, those with intellectual disabilities often have trouble articulating their thoughts. It would be easy for culprits to take advantage of their innocence to commit crimes. In light of these abuse cases, greater transparency is crucial so that these perpetrators do not get away with their crimes, and the public can be aware of these incidents and the facilities that are not safe. (accept all reasonable answers)