Police initiative to tackle family violence
Police chiefs are to put a senior officer in each district in charge of handling domestic disputes as part of government efforts to prevent family tragedies.
From next month, each of the 13 districts will have an officer of at least inspector rank in charge of investigating cases of domestic violence and reviewing old cases.
The initiative was announced by Assistant Commissioner Victor Lo Yik-kee yesterday at a Legislative Council welfare subcommittee meeting on the problem.
It comes after a review panel examining the killing in April of a woman and her two daughters by their father in Tin Shui Wai made 25 recommendations on how to prevent such tragedies. They include improved planning and co-ordination of welfare services in poor districts, better training for social welfare staff, and ensuring police intervene early.
'We're planning to appoint, in each of the districts, a chief inspector or an inspector who will oversee general police operations and crime-scene management. He will take a [broad look at] the cases within the district,' Mr Lo said.
He said a database containing information about such cases was expected to be ready soon.
Legislator Li Fung-ying praised the measures, but social welfare functional constituency representative Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung said the government still lacked a comprehensive policy against family violence.
