Bring Uncles, Aunts Under Incest Law: Reform Panel

The Law Reform Commission says Hong Kong should update its laws on sex offences to cover more types of activity and make incest gender-neutral and cover uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces.

A three-month consultation was launched on various proposals on Wednesday, such as whether incest should also cover adoptive parents.

The chairman of the commission’s sexual offences sub-committee, Senior Counsel Peter Duncan, said extending the offence beyond blood relatives would be a significant change to current law.

"There is no age limit with regard to the offence of incest. And if, for example, the persons engaging in sexual conduct, even though there are adoptive parents involved, are consenting adults, there is a question as to whether that should be a breach of the law," he explained.

The commission also recommends removing remaining homosexual sex offences from the statute books, to avoid distinctions based on sexual orientation. These offences include "assault with intent to commit buggery" and "gross indecency by man with man otherwise than in private".

It also suggests the creation of a new offence of voyeurism "to criminalise acts of non-consensual observation or visual recording", as well as a new charge of sexual activity "on a dead person".