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Brian Wong

A former Hong Kong teacher has been jailed for more than two years for molesting a 12-year-old girl three times at a primary school and pressuring two of her classmates who witnessed the acts to help conceal the crimes.
The District Court on Monday sentenced Wong Fai-man to 26 months behind bars and slammed the “outrageous” and “mind-boggling” acts he committed on the Primary Five student at the school in Tin Shui Wai from March to May of 2023.
The 32-year-old defendant was also taken to task for setting the wrong example for his students by telling them to turn a blind eye to his misconduct.
Wong, who has left the school, was described in court as a devout Christian and church leader responsible for teaching the Bible and developing correct values in teenagers.
He assaulted the victim on three occasions after making her sit on his thighs, using various excuses, the trial heard.
The girl said one of those occasions was “extremely embarrassing” to her, as she was groped in front of all her classmates during a general studies lesson.
On May 22, the defendant summoned two of the girl’s classmates and told them to help prove his “innocence” after she aired her grievances on social media and alerted the school. Wong was arrested nine days later.
Wong was convicted in July this year of three counts of indecent assault and one of perverting the course of justice.
In her verdict, Deputy Judge Katherine Lo Kit-yee accepted the students’ testimonies and pointed out the two classmates had no reason to frame the defendant.
Wong was also accused of molesting an 11-year-old Primary Five student during an extracurricular event on April 14, 2023.
But Lo cleared him of the charge on technical grounds after the girl failed to recall in court the date of the crime as specified in the indictment.
A psychological report said the 12-year-old girl was confused and shocked by the defendant’s acts, adding that she had experienced nightmares, a loss of appetite and fear of school.
While no psychological treatment was required at this stage, the report noted the girl remained angry and disturbed and could need counselling if those emotions persisted in the future.
The defence sought the court’s leniency by highlighting Wong’s religious beliefs, regular donations to his church, and positive character that his parents, wife, friends and students attested to.
In a mitigation letter, the defendant’s wife, who was also a teacher at the school, said she had suffered from postnatal depression since giving birth to a baby boy on the day the court delivered the guilty verdict and remanded her husband in custody.
Lo expressed sympathy for Wong’s partner but said a jail sentence was inevitable given the gravity of the case.
She noted the former teacher had committed the crimes despite knowing the victim could receive less family support from her divorced parents than her peers.
“The defendant’s acts clearly destroyed the faith pinned by a girl who used to have absolute trust in teachers. They constituted a serious breach of trust,” the deputy judge said.
The court sentenced Wong to 26 months’ jail in total on the four counts.


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News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Education

Teacher, 32, molested student three times, pressured two classmates who witnessed abuse to turn a blind eye


Teacher, 32, molested student three times, pressured two classmates who witnessed abuse to turn a blind eye.


Crime in Hong Kong

Sexual harassment and assault

China

Ex-Hong Kong teacher jailed for 26 months for abusing girl, 12, at school

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Teacher, 32, molested student three times, pressured two classmates who witnessed abuse to turn a blind eye

Teacher, 32, molested student three times, pressured two classmates who witnessed abuse to turn a blind eye