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Patsy Moy

Welfare group questions effectiveness of prevention strategy after suspected cases in Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long rise

Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long had the second highest number of suspected child abuse cases in the past 12 months, a welfare group said. The two towns had the fourth highest rate in the previous 12 months.

Against Child Abuse director Priscilla Lui Tsang Sun-kai said the figures showed the government's measures to prevent child abuse in new towns may have failed.

'Tuen Mun and Tin Shui Wai are areas of potential danger in terms of family violence. The government has to accelerate its support and services,' she said.

'I also don't see the determination on the part of the government to implement measures to improve the interests of children.

'When the government is allocating resources, we do not see resources being effectively allocated to children.

'We do not see a strategic plan in place to effectively prevent family tragedies happening.'

The agency received reports of suspected abuse involving 907 children last financial year.

The biggest source of reports was Tuen Mun, with 94 cases (10.4 per cent of the total), followed by Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai, with 66 cases (7.3 per cent), Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O (57 cases) and Wong Tai-Sin (56).

In 2003/04, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai accounted for only 5.2 per cent of suspected cases reported.

The number of abuse reports received by Against Child Abuse through its hotline and walk-in service jumped 6.3 per cent from 2003/04.

But Mrs Lui warned that the figures represented just the tip of the iceberg, since a previous study by the University of Hong Kong had shown that only about 1 per cent of abuse cases were  reported.

The director admitted that the agency had struggled to handle all the cases, given its limited resources. Its funding fell by a quarter over five years, to $8.27 million last financial year.

About 80 cases last year had to be transferred to other organisations, partly due to a lack of manpower in the agency.

The problem of family violence in Tin Shui Wai gained widespread attention after mainland mother Kim Shuk-ying,  31, and daughters Li Yin-li,  six, and Li Tsz-wan,  five, were stabbed and chopped to death in their Tin Shui Wai home in April last year by Kim's husband.

In September, the coroner's court ruling on the case recommended police officers should not play down the seriousness of any report of domestic violence.

The court also said they should not act as mediators between husband and wife in an abuse case before thorough investigations had been carried out into the family's circumstances.

The court also urged police to set up a standard procedure for investigating family violence, including a checklist for questioning and the use of an electronic format to record complaints. They were among 12 recommendations made by a panel of five jurors.

The jurors found that the mother and her daughters had been unlawfully killed and that husband Li Pak-sum, 44,  who died 12 days after attacking them and stabbing himself, committed suicide.



Uphill fight on new towns' child abuse