What can be done to reduce domestic violence?
Domestic violence is perhaps Hong Kong's most serious problem. Most worrying of all, legislators, the Social Welfare Department, police, social workers and women's groups have absolutely no idea how to stop it.
The police have said that 4,967 cases of family violence had been reported up to August 31, almost twice as many as the cases reported in the same period last year.
I listened attentively to Monday's Legislative Council subcommittee meeting on strategy and measures to tackle family violence. It made depressing listening.
None of the community's leaders and representatives had any effective solutions to reduce the violence. Lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit's proposal of switching the burden of proof to suspects in domestic violence cases, even if it was passed, would do little to reduce the levels of violence.
The only ray of hope from Monday's meeting came when one ordinary member of the public bravely expressed his opinion.
The young man said he thought there needed to be a radical improvement in education policy in order to educate people how to stay in control of their emotions when they are angry or upset.