An 82-year-old Hong Kong man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for indecently assaulting his young granddaughter multiple times over a three-year period, a crime the presiding judge described as a severe breach of familial trust.
The defendant, identified in court by the initials L.M.K., pleaded guilty in the District Court to four counts of indecent assault.
The offenses took place between September 2016 and July 2019 at a residential flat in Ngau Tau Kok, beginning when the victim was just seven years old.
The court heard that the elderly man used massages as a pretext to inappropriately touch and penetrate the young girl's private parts, causing her physical pain.
He also assaulted her on more than a dozen occasions while assisting her with baths.
The abuse remained a secret until the victim, then in Primary Five, attended a school sex education class and realized her grandfather's actions constituted sexual harassment.
Feeling disgusted and confused by the revelations, she disclosed the abuse to a social worker and her mother, which ultimately led to a police investigation.
Upon his arrest, the grandfather admitted to the crimes, attributing his actions to severe stress and a momentary lapse of judgment driven by lust. He expressed deep shame for his behavior.
During the sentencing, District Judge Clement Lee Hing-nin emphasized the necessity of imposing a deterrent punishment for child sexual abuse to protect vulnerable minors, reflect society's absolute intolerance of such acts, and provide justice for victims and their families.
The judge highlighted the significant 67-year age gap between the defendant and the victim, as well as the severe psychological trauma inflicted on the young girl, who now requires ongoing psychiatric and psychological therapy.
In determining the final sentence, the court reviewed psychological and psychiatric evaluations which confirmed that the defendant does not suffer from pedophilia, does not require psychiatric treatment, and presents a low risk of re-offending.
The defense also clarified that while the man felt immense guilt and a desire to leave his home following the exposure of his crimes, he did not harbor suicidal thoughts.
The judge ultimately granted a reduced sentence of two years in prison, taking into account the defendant's guilty plea, his advanced age, and his previously clear criminal record.
The court also noted the permanent fracture of his family, acknowledging that the defendant will carry lifelong remorse as his own son has refused to forgive him for the abuse.
