Domestic Violence Cases Going Unreported: Lawmaker

The DAB party has expressed concerns that government data on domestic violence in Hong Kong is failing to reflect the true extent of the problem.

The Social Welfare Department says the number of domestic abuse cases reported last year was 2,900 – a drop of 6.1 percent compared to the year before.

But lawmaker Elizabeth Quat, who chairs the party's Women Affairs Committee, said this is not a true picture as many victims feel too ashamed to seek help.

Quat also said the government is not giving enough support for domestic violence victims, like shelters for the victims.

"Today we have only five shelters in Hong Kong which provide very limited space," she said.

One victim who was during a media briefing said fight between his elderly parents is taking a toll on his one-year-old son.

"But the social welfare department said it couldn’t really help my kid when we, as parents, have not been physically affected yet," the man said.

Quat also recalled a case where a woman who was staying at the shelter was kicked out after two months. "Finally she had to go back to her husband and face more violence," she said.

The lawmaker called on the government to put in more resources to help NGOs run more shelters for such people.