Legislation to make it mandatory for those working with children to report suspected abuse will be expedited, says Hong Kong’s welfare minister
- Consultation with lawmakers will start in November, a month ahead of schedule, after spate of recent high-profile cases
- New unit that pays targeted visits to residential childcare homes will start running by the end of the month, says Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun
Hong Kong’s welfare minister has pledged to further speed up legislative work that will make it mandatory for professionals working with children to report abuse, in light of heightened public concern caused by recent high-profile cases.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han told lawmakers during a Legislative Council session on Monday that he planned to begin the consultation process with them for the proposed legislative changes in November, a month ahead of schedule. The change is expected to affect teachers, social workers and doctors.
The government at first intended to begin consultation next year, but the process was brought forward to December after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu last month stressed the urgency for tackling the issue following a shocking case in September.
“In light of the community’s concerns on child abuse cases, we have decided to move our schedule more quickly,” Sun said when attending Legco’s welfare services panel on Monday.
A spate of recent suspected child abuse cases have also prompted a review committee set up by the Social Welfare Department to come up with 31 recommendations for improvement.