Hong Kong protests: journalist mistaken for toilet pervert is convicted of resisting police officer following Mong Kok unrest
- Ho Ka-yan, 27, found guilty on one count but cleared of resisting three other officers, as magistrate finds the trio’s use of pepper spray ‘inappropriate and unreasonable’
- Officer tackling anti-government unrest in Mong Kok last year apprehended the reporter in mistaken belief she was a man sneaking photos in women’s toilet
An online reporter has been convicted of resisting a Hong Kong police officer who mistook her for a man sneaking photos in a woman’s toilet near a protest site last year.
But Ho Ka-yan, 27, was found not guilty on Wednesday of resisting two other constables and a sergeant, who twice pepper-sprayed her in what Principal Magistrate Ada Yim Shun-yee described as an inappropriate and unreasonable use of force.
The magistrate at Kowloon City Court initially sentenced Ho to four weeks in jail, suspended for two years, upon learning the defendant was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, which could explain her reaction during the incident in Mong Kok.
However, that sentence was quashed less than two hours later, as Yim realised the offence of resisting police could not be punished by a suspended prison term.
Ho will be sentenced again on July 17, pending reports on the suitability of community service, as requested by her defence counsel.
Outside court, Ho said the “laughable” incident was borne out of a misunderstanding that led to “what could be described as torture”.
“Everyday, I think about what happened,” she said. “To them, this incident happened a year ago. But for me it was just like yesterday … Every night, I cry to myself and think: why me?”