Letters | Police use of force against a 15-year-old breaching social distancing rules cannot be justified
- Readers object to the treatment of a teenage boy by plain-clothes police officers, raise concerns about unvaccinated carers of vulnerable groups, and argue that political tensions have fuelled vaccine hesitancy
Children have suffered greatly during the pandemic, especially as they have not been able to attend school or use public parks and leisure facilities for extended periods over the past two years. Although sports venues are temporarily closed, children have a right to play under Article 31.1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The first response to children playing in an inappropriate venue, even during a pandemic, should be measured and commensurate with their status as children and the threat posed by their actions. Police officers should give warnings and never use violence. Unarmed children who are only engaging in sports should not be criminalised but treated in a civilised manner. Moreover, families must be offered more support and provided with child-friendly public health education to avoid such incidents in future.
The arrest, detention or imprisonment of children must be a measure of last resort. Children must be treated with dignity, taking into account their needs as children – these are legal requirements under Article 37 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Therefore, we call on the Commissioner of Police to look into this case and train officers to handle future incidents differently.
Heavy-handed use of force against children playing will lead to needless disaffection between the youth, the public and law enforcement. This sort of incident must never be repeated and every effort must be made to avoid further violent confrontations. Such steps are vital to rebuild and maintain trust between law enforcement, the public and youth of Hong Kong in the long run.