First video interview in sex case

A magistrate entered Hong Kong legal history yesterday when he allowed a video recording of a teenage girl's sex-case evidence to be played in court.

It was the first case in which a recording has been submitted as evidence following the amendment to the Criminal Procedures Ordinance in July last year.

Eastern Court magistrate Peter Line heard, in the 30-minute interview recorded in December, how the 13-year-old from Tseung Kwan O was allegedly assaulted four times last summer.

But the girl still had to attend court for cross-examination. Mr Line allowed her to answer defence questions via the live television link.

The teenager said that on four occasions in May and June last year, the three-year-old boy living in the flat next door asked her to play with him.

But each time, she said, she was attacked by his uncle.