Police end sex inquiry

POLICE said yesterday a Polytechnic University lecturer accused of sexual harassment did not seem to have had any strong 'obscene motive'.

The police interviewed 53 students in classes taken by him after nine women accused him of touching their waists, shoulders, backs, hands and legs.

The university, which is investigating the case, has banned the lecturer from teaching the class involved.

Police have finished interviewing the complainants, and five male and other female students in the classes. A Yau Tsim district police officer said only a minority of the complainants' classmates said they felt uncomfortable about bodily contact.

'Many of them were unaware of any bodily contact with the lecturer. Some others, including the boys, said he had patted their shoulders but they did not think anything of it,' he said.

'Whether behaviour constitutes indecent assault usually depends on whether the accused has any indecent motive. But our investigation so far has not found a strong obscene motive in this case.' The police would seek Legal Department advice on whether to charge the lecturer.