FRIGHTENED Tuen Mun women are being warned in a series of seminars organised by the police against using self-defence tactics which might provoke potential attackers into violence.
The Crime Prevention Bureau has organised 27 sessions this week to teach residents how to avoid being victims of rape in the wake of six attacks in the area in the past year. Two victims were killed.
The talks, the first of which started yesterday, are presented by women staff officers to groups of between 15 and 20 women at the three estates which have been hit by the serial rapist.
A group of 16 female bureau officers was drawn from all over the territory, given a crash course on Tuen Mun and sent to the area to dispense advice.
Bureau staff officer Superintendent Graham Lander said: ''The advantage my girls have is they are not uniformed branch and they're not there to detect crime. They are there to tell other women how to avoid being attacked and what to do if they are attacked.'' Women who attend the seminars will be told to be as passive as possible in the event of an attack, to run as soon as the opportunity arises and to scream when there's a chance.
''We are strongly advising against self-defence tactics, because that could be extremely dangerous if people are not properly trained,'' Mr Lander said.
''It could also provoke more violence on the part of the attacker.