bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Stella Lee

YOUNGSTERS under 16 should be banned from specially-licensed karaoke bars, according to a new Security Branch proposal.

 The move follows police raids throughout the territory which caught girls as young as 12 working in and offering sexual services to the customers of karaoke bars.

  The Fight Crime Committee (FCC) will discuss the Security Branch proposal tomorrow.

  The ban on youngsters under 16 in karaoke bars is contained in a document which says licensing controls should cover any premises open to the public and in which escort and singing karaoke services are provided.

  ''...the licensing conditions may have to stipulate that no persons under the age of 18 should be employed on the premises without the written permission of the licensing authority'', the document says.

  ''If necessary, no persons below the age of 16, even as customers, should be allowed in the premises.''   At the moment, karaoke bars only need business registrations to operate.

  Under the new plan, the licensing authority would be required to consult the police when considering applications.

  Significantly, a penalty is proposed for establishments operating without a licence, although the document does not specify what punishment should be handed out by the courts.

  FCC member and Legislative Councillor James To Kun-sun said last night that banning youths under 16 from bars was too stringent.

  Young people should enjoy the freedom of entertainment, he said.

  But he suggested the Crimes Ordinance should be amended so that anyone organising girls to offer sexual services for customers, even if that did not involve actual intercourse, could be prosecuted.

  A senior police officer said any Government effort to attack the problem of vice in karaoke bars would be helpful.

  While the police have taken rigorous action against karaoke bars with 1,000 raids conducted during the first six months this year in Kowloon West, there were great enforcement difficulties without specific licensing controls, he said.

  Prosecutions against the operators of karaoke lounges are also difficult because vice activities often take place outside the premises so it is hard to prove the management committed any specific offence under the Crimes Ordinance.

  Karaoke managers who share earnings from vice service often claim ignorance of the dealings between the girls and the customers, the document says.

  The document also found the existing penalty for employing children was not severe enough to be a deterrent.

  While the police could invoke the Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance, to detain a girl under 18 working in the karaoke lounge for her care and protection, difficulties arose if the girl claimed to be a customer.

  The document says consideration will also be given to amending existing legislation dealing with criminal offences and employment regulations.

  After considering the proposal, the FCC will submit its decision to the Executive Council.



Minimum age plea for karaoke bars