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

Elaine Chan

MORE than 30 women and children yesterday petitioned the Tin Shui Wai police calling for immediate action to track down the rapist who has terrorised their new town in the New Territories.

  A spokesman said they were disappointed the police had apparently made little progress in arresting the rapist.

  He urged police to set up a hotline and increase resources for the investigations, as well as increase patrols in the new town.

  The spokesman said that as one-third of the apartments in the estates were vacant, any of them could be used by the rapist.

  Meanwhile, the police have initiated a community awareness programme in a bid to protect young girls from the serial rapist. Escorts will be provided to get them safely home.

  Yuen Long acting District Commander Paul Barkley said the police realised through its investigation that the new town lacked district organisations, and this could reinforce the rapist's opportunities.

  Police believe the rapist attacked his first victim on May 2 when an eight-year-old girl was assaulted on the first floor of Yiu Shing House in Tin Yiu Estate. A week later, he is believed to have struck again by attempting to rape a nine-year-old girl on the second floor of Shui Choi House in Tin Shui Estate.

  On May 22, a 12-year-old girl was raped in an empty flat on the 36th floor of Yiu Shing House, Tin Yiu Estate.

  The rapist then laid low for three months before attacking and raping another 12-year-old on August 25 on the first floor of Shui Kwok House, Tin Shui Estate.

  The awareness programme will be implemented at the end of the month.

  In association with the Housing Authority, the City and New Territories Administration, secondary schools and the district's various groups organisations, police will organise a team of escorts for girls.

  The team's main task will be to escort young girls - below 13 years old - home from school to ensure their safety.

  Commander Barkley said the teams would assemble in the lobbies of the respective apartments blocks between noon and 5 pm.

  Both Tin Shui and Tin Yiu estates have a total of 24 apartment blocks, so police are also seeking volunteers from the occupants.



Women mobilise against rapist