Girl couldn't see alleged rapist, court hears

A teenage girl who says she was raped was unable to identify the rapist because she is acutely short-sighted and her contact lenses had been dislodged, a court was told.

But senior public prosecutor Peggy Lo Suk-ling told the jury strong evidence showed it was Chan Ping-tung, 48, nicknamed 'Uncle Four', who raped the girl, in his flat in Po Tin Estate, Tuen Mun, on January 20 last year. In the Court of First Instance yesterday Chan denied one count of rape. He also faced an alternative charge of indecent assault.

Chan was almost three times the age of the victim, who was only 17 at the time. Chan made his living by trading used items, while the victim sold ice cream.

'According to the evidence, the defendant was the only person who was conscious and was inside the flat when the victim was raped. Two of her friends had gone out to buy beer and another one had been in a deep sleep at the time of the offence,' Lo told the jury.

Chan did not know the victim before the night she was introduced to him by her friends and taken to his flat, Lo told the court.

The victim had joined her ex-boyfriend and two other friends at Chan's flat to play dice games. Those who lost the games had to drink beer. The victim always lost the games and consequently drank a lot of beer and fell asleep, Lo told the court.