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Lo Hoi-ying

A Hong Kong police superintendent has been acquitted of molesting and assaulting a female subordinate four times over a seven-month period last year, with a magistrate saying that the defendant’s actions could be interpreted as “being merely playful”.
Fanling Court on Monday heard that Chan Kin-yee, 42, was cleared of one count of indecent assault and three counts of common assault against the victim, known as X.
In her judgment, Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung Shuk-han said Chan and X shared a friendly relationship as a superior and a subordinate.
Chan, represented by barrister Jackson Poon Chin-ping, earlier pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Both Chan and X were transferred to Tsing Yi Police Station at around the same time last year, and Chan said he was instructed to mentor X, who was facing stress at work.
Last May, at a gathering at a bar with Chan’s former colleagues to celebrate his promotion, X accused him of patting, squeezing and caressing her thigh while sitting next to her for five hours.
X earlier testified that Chan slid his fingers towards her inner thigh near her genitals, which she forcefully blocked using her hands while glaring at him to show her displeasure.
She also accused him of brushing against her breasts while putting his arm around her shoulder.
X said that she did not dare to speak up for fear of ruining the jovial atmosphere and thought Chan’s behaviour was “normal” as he also made physical contact with other women.
In his testimony, Chan said he lived in the United States for 11 years and considered actions such as patting someone’s knee or shoulder to be “common physical contact between friends”.
He also said the victim was “easy-going and cheerful” and he treated her “as a younger sibling” and not a “typical woman”.
Chan said he was unaware that X was unhappy with his behaviour and would have stopped if he had known.
Evidence submitted to the court included a group photo towards the end of the gathering and a video of colleagues presenting Chan with a coffee machine to celebrate his promotion.
In the photo, X was seen standing next to Chan and smiling with one arm around him, while in the video, she showed a thumbs-up sign and was smiling while interacting with Chan, Heung said.
Heung questioned why X would lean next to her accused perpetrator for the photo and, as an “experienced police officer”, why she would be too afraid to leave her seat next to Chan if her accusations were true.

Heung also found it unreasonable that Chan would touch X’s genitals and breasts in the presence of other police officers at the gathering.
Chan was also acquitted of three charges of assaulting X at Tsing Yi Police Station between August and November 2024.
X accused Chan of touching her cheek multiple times and caressing her arm when they were alone in the station.
Heung cited text messages exchanged between Chan and X, which were casual in tone and included emojis and curse words.
On multiple occasions, Chan encouraged X not to bottle up her emotions and to speak to their district commander about her workload, while advising her not to burn out because of work.
Heung doubted that Chan would risk being caught by other colleagues if X had shouted for help, if he already knew that she felt uncomfortable with him.
“If Chan knew his actions made X unhappy, it is hard to imagine him encouraging her to speak to their district commander,” the magistrate said.
“While the defendant’s actions towards X might be inappropriate, the claim that he was being merely playful could be potentially true.”


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Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong police officer acquitted of molesting, assaulting female subordinate

Senior police officer Chan Kin-yee, 42, and his wife appear at Fanling Court. Photo: Edmond So

A judge has said that while defendant Chan Kin-yee’s actions may be inappropriate, his claim of “being merely playful” could potentially be true. Photo: Winson Wong

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Two assaults allegedly took place inside Tsing Yi Police Station between August and September last year and a third in November. Photo: SCMP

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Football coach Wong Chi-wai (front) leaves West Kowloon Court with his lawyers after he is acquitted of indecent assault for a second time. Photo: Brian Wong

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Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura (left) entering court. Photo: Karma Lo

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Judge says while defendant Chan Kin-yee’s actions may be inappropriate, his claim of ‘being merely playful’ is potentially true


Judge says while defendant Chan Kin-yee’s actions may be inappropriate, his claim of ‘being merely playful’ is potentially true.


Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police

Crime

Hong Kong police officer acquitted of molesting, assaulting female subordinate

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Judge says while defendant Chan Kin-yee’s actions may be inappropriate, his claim of ‘being merely playful’ is potentially true

Judge says while defendant Chan Kin-yee’s actions may be inappropriate, his claim of ‘being merely playful’ is potentially true