Don't let sex abuse go unpunished

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Thursday said she had asked the police to look into a sexual abuse complaint raised by Hong Kong's champion hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu, who stated on her Facebook page that she was a victim of sexual abuse by a coach when she was in secondary school. Lui, 23, is the first Hong Kong woman to step forward and make her traumatic experience public amid the current wave of similar revelations in many countries and regions around the world. It is widely understood Lui cannot be the only victim of sexual abuse and/or harassment in this city and others, male or female, should follow her example and seek justice by talking to the police.

The sad reality is that sexual abuse/harassment can happen anytime, anywhere. That people don't hear about it doesn't mean it is not happening. Culprits of such crimes will always try to silence their victims, which is why the latter should expose them by reporting them to the police as soon as possible. Hong Kong has effective rule of law and people should always seek justice through the law rather than remain silent about their plight or take the law into their own hands. Adult victims should keep any evidence there is and give it to the police along with a detailed statement on what happened. If the victim is a minor it is the parents' responsibility to inform the police first. This is the right way to deal with these situations.

Numerous cases of this nature from around the world show sexual abuse/harassment can be quite difficult to prove but that should never be a reason for victims to keep quiet about it. They owe it to themselves and countless others to stop predators with justice and law. However, it may not be a good idea to go public with sexual abuse accusations before telling the police all about it. Keep in mind there is no justice without procedural justice. As for the press, they must abide by relevant laws and industry rules while covering such cases, especially when victims are minors. Children are vulnerable to unscrupulous exposure by the media as much as to criminal abuse. And the public's "right to know" does not exempt the media from their moral and social responsibilities anyway.

On the other hand, it is also significant that the right of those being accused be protected - by the police, the court and the media with caution and professionalism. While it is hard to prove the complainant's case, it is equally difficult to prove the accused's innocence because usually only the two persons are present when the action is committed. It is one's words against the other's. Such accusations come with a stigma that cannot be easily erased. It is therefore reassuring to hear Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu say that these cases will be handled with fairness.

(HK Edition 12/01/2017 page12)