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Stella Lee

Police yesterday lifted a ban on releasing the names of suspects and victims but said other information that could reveal their identity would still be withheld.

The new arrangement, which will be on trial for a month, follows an outcry over a media blackout imposed on Monday last week, when police decided to scrap their policy of giving the surnames of victims and suspects.

The new guidelines were distributed to frontline officers yesterday and newspaper editors were also notified of the move.

Under the new arrangement, police can release the surnames and part of any other names, the age and the sex of those involved in cases and an account of the incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Douglas Lau Yuk-kuen said: 'However, in disclosing any other information, police will carefully consider each case to ensure that no information would be disclosed that may directly or indirectly identify the persons involved.'

Senior Assistant Commissioner Ng Wai-kit said the residential or office address would be withheld if it could identify people involved in the case, even if the location was the scene of the crime.

Mr Ng yesterday rejected suggestions that the review was conducted because of pressure from Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who referred police to a complaint by textile tycoon Kenneth Fang Hung last April.

The names of the tycoon's three daughters made the headlines after their Kowloon Tong home was burgled in March last year.

Mr Ng maintained the decision on the ban last week was correct as police had been given legal advice that giving out partial names with no special restrictions on other information could breach the privacy law.

He said they had met media representatives and the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Stephen Lau Ka-men, to seek their views after the outcry over the ban. Mr Ng said the new measures, which aimed to balance the public's right to know while guarding personal privacy, was agreed by their legal adviser and Mr Lau.

The chairwoman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association, Mak Yin-ting, said it was concerned about possible delays in information disclosure because of the need to seek legal advice in some cases. She was also worried that frontline officers would have different definitions in cases involving celebrities or issues of public interest.

The chairman of the Local Inspectors' Association, Tony Liu Kit-ming, said he feared frontline officers would have to shoulder more responsibility in the protection of privacy under the new arrangement.



Police backtrack on releasing names of suspects and victims