THE blind girl at the centre of an incest trial will be able to spend Christmas in a permanent home. The Social Welfare Department has found a suitable place for the 17-year-old girl, who had to leave her own home after reporting her father to the police. Her 44-year-old father was acquitted of incest this month. The South China Morning Post reported last week that the girl, a boarder in a school for the blind, had to spend her summer holidays in a home for the aged, and weekends virtually on her own in an empty school building because she had no home to return to. Her headmaster accused the department of providing the girl with minimal support, and failing to find her a permanent home. The Director of Social Welfare, Ian Strachan, is the legal guardian of the girl. Yesterday, headmaster Dr Simon Leung Man-on confirmed the department had found the girl a place to stay during school holidays, following the Post's report. The name of her new home, a welfare organisation, is being withheld to protect the girl's identity. 'She has been there for an interview just to make sure people there will accept her, and she accept them,' said Dr Leung. 'We have taught her how to travel from our school to the place and how to use the facilities there,' he said. Dr Leung said the idea was for the girl to stay there during school holidays, and also work as a volunteer. 'She is quite pleased with it.'
