Editorial | Accountability does not stop with the staff of scandal-hit home

An independent committee’s interim report on a widening scandal of abuse of toddlers at a government-subsidised home run by the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children has found errors and failures at all levels of the organisation, raising serious questions about government monitoring and accountability. Police have charged 20 staff with abuse of 35 victims so far, as they continue to sweep tens of thousands of hours of CCTV footage for more cases.

The society’s director and the superintendent of the Mong Kok home have resigned. The interim report recommended replacing all of its care workers, and shaking up governance, daily supervision and training. The HKSPC pledged to comply and apologised. Resignations and apologies are welcome. But accountability should not stop there.

The home supports children of up to three years of age who are abandoned, orphaned or lack care due to family problems. In a perfect world their care would be beyond reproach. In this case, carers are said to have abused children as young as 22 months by hitting their heads, yanking their hair, and throwing them on the floor and against walls, apparently to help bring them under control.

This is outrageous. But it is delusionary to heap all the blame on the culprits and close the file. Other issues include whether there is a mismatch between quantity and quality of staffing and society’s expectations, and accountability up the line for performance of a social responsibility underwritten by public subsidy.

Labour and Welfare minister Law Chi-kwong ordered the Social Welfare Department to investigate the circumstances, including monitoring of staff by the HKSPC. The department pledged to review the supervision of such institutions. We trust all this does not amount to deflecting accountability. The senior management team at the home may have fallen on their swords, but the circumstances beg the question of what kind of oversight mechanisms are in place – not just by such institutions but by people responsible for overseeing them.

The minister and the bureau are also responsible for oversight. Does the government track performance or review resources? Does this scandal give reason for concern about conditions at other residential care homes? After all it is not the first time they have made headlines. A nursing group came under fire in 2015 when elderly residents were stripped naked outdoors while waiting to shower.