Chances To Stop Child Abuse Being Missed: Ombudsman

The Ombudsman has urged the government to look into whether it can be made a mandatory requirement for teachers, social workers and medical staff to report any suspected child abuse cases they come across to the authorities.

After conducting an investigation into the matter, the watchdog said opportunities are being missed to stop abuse against children, and the authorities are often only able to intervene when a tragedy has already occurred.

Statistics from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) show a rise of around 20 percent in the number of new reports of suspected child abuse over a decade, from 882 cases in 2008, to 1,064 cases in 2018.

The watchdog said a child left in a vegetative state and another allegedly battered to death were among the worst cases.

It said in many instances, the victims of the abuse don't know who to turn to for help and often the perpetrators are family members.

"Therefore, it would help to address the problem at an early stage if professionals who have frequent contact with children, including school teachers and social workers, can pay attention to their condition, thereby promptly identifying abuse cases and taking action to intervene," the watchdog said.

But Hong Kong currently has no mechanism or administrative measure in place to require doctors, nurses, social workers or teachers to notify the police or SWD of any concerns.

Ombudsman Winnie Chu said at a press briefing that the government should look into whether this can be changed.

"We note the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended as early as 2011 to establish mechanisms for reporting violence against children. Currently, over 70 countries including the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Japan have already enacted laws to require mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse cases," Chu said.

But the watchdog also noted that there were some concerns in the community that a mandatory reporting mechanism could lead to "mistaken reports" of abuse and this could damage the relationship between families and various professionals.

The Ombudsman said it is therefore imperative that thorough and extensive discussions, studies and consultations are held before any such reporting system is brought in.