Increase in child abuse fast-tracks inspection laws for childcare centers

Hong Kong will push forward the legislation regarding the inspection of residential childcare centers as abuse cases surge.  

A 33-year-old female carer at Po Leung Kuk residential childcare service was arrested by the police yesterday on suspicion of abusing six toddlers aged between one and three years.  

Speaking in the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Hong Kong’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu emphasized the government will amend the current law on child abuse in response to the Pok Leung Kuk case.  

He described the enhancement of monitoring childcare centers as “urgent,” adding the Labour and Welfare Bureau has been looking into launching more raids with a team of veterans to ensure early detection of suspected child abuse or neglect and to appropriately supervise the childcare staff.  

Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen suggested raising the bar for recruiting child carers, citing a child abuse case early this month of a 33-year-old mother charged with abusing her son to death.   

Tik called on authorities to release reports of the Pok Leung Kuk child abuse accident within one week.

The Committee on Review of Residential Child Care and Related Services announced last month the completion of a legislation review report, raising 30 suggestions to improve the service quality in children’s residential homes, including adding an inspection team who worked in the health care and law enforcement authorities for monitoring as well as introducing social workers, nurses, clinical psychologists to childcare centers, amongst other measures.