Ex-football coach files judicial review request dismissal of indecent assault charges

A 39-year-old former assistant coach of the Hong Kong women's football team, who has been charged with two counts of indecent assault, filed a judicial review to request the dismissal of charges, citing double jeopardy.

Wong Chi-wai, 39, who was the coach of Hong Kong's women's team, was arrested by police in 2022 on suspicion of indecent assault.

The two women, aged 30 and 24, who worked together with Wong in a sports center in Sham Shui Po, reported to police that they had been molested by a coach they knew in 2021.

He was charged with three counts of indecent assault after it was suspected that he had sexually assaulted his female subordinate X in the office and in a car.

But in March of this year, the judge ruled that X was unable to accurately remember the date and time of the crime and the difference in the wording of their chat log varied with the accusation, as it showed that they were still quite friendly until January 2022, they could not accept X's evidence.

Wong was ruled not guilty and acquitted of the three charges.

However, the Department of Justice then arrested and charged Wong in May with two counts of indecent assault for sexually assaulting his female companion, Y.

In the review, the ex-football coach stated that in the video interview recorded on August 19, 2022, he admitted that he stroked and patted the thighs of X and Y, but it was ruled that his video interview record was not admissible as evidence during the trial.

Since the two cases involved the same investigation and the video evidence was inadmissible, along with the charges involving X being dropped, he believes the police should not use the same investigation report to arrest and charge him for two counts of indecent assault against Y, suspecting it would be double jeopardy.

On July 18 this year, through his lawyer, he wrote to the Department of Justice, requesting a review of his prosecution decision for two counts of indecent assault against Y.

The Department of Justice responded on July 24, stating that the prosecution would continue, leading Wong to apply for a judicial review, requesting to overturn the decision and drop the charges.