A 32-year-old former male secondary school teacher, Cheng Hon-sze, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison at the Tsuen Wan District Court for indecently assaulting a former female student over a five-year period.
District Judge Gary Lam Kar-yan handed down the sentence after the defendant was previously convicted of two counts of indecent assault.
The judge noted the severe breach of trust in the teacher-student relationship and emphasized the significant trauma inflicted on the victim, while recommending psychological counseling for the convict during his imprisonment.
Long-term exploitation and court findings
The abuse began when the victim was a 14-year-old secondary student and continued until she reached adulthood.
The court heard that Cheng, who previously served as the victim's form teacher and chemistry instructor, engaged in inappropriate physical contact across multiple locations, including school grounds, a public carpark in Fanling, and his own residence.
His misconduct escalated from physical affection to serious sexual acts, including touching the victim inappropriately and coercing her into perform sexual acts.
Cheng was originally charged with nine counts of indecent assault occurring between November 2019 and September 2024. Following the trial, he was convicted on two counts while being cleared of the remaining seven charges.
Deep psychological trauma and conflicting emotions
Psychological evaluation reports revealed the profound impact the abuse had on the victim's mental health. The report highlighted that the victim continues to struggle with conflicting feelings, as she viewed the defendant as someone who offered help yet inflicted severe harm.
This ordeal forced her to suppress her distress, warping her perception of relationships to believe that accepting harm was a condition of receiving care.
Consequently, she developed a deep sense of helplessness and an insecure worldview, struggling with the belief that anyone might eventually betray or harm her.
Addressing the victim, Judge Lam expressed hope that she could gradually overcome the trauma and rebuild her life, advising her to seek professional help when needed during what would likely be a long recovery process.
Defense mitigation and offender assessment
During mitigation, the defense argued that psychological assessments showed the defendant did not suffer from mental illness, pedophilia, or abnormal sexual interests, nor did he possess a history of hostility toward women.
The defense stated that Cheng regretted his actions, attributing his behavior to lack of romantic experience and a lapse in judgment when he mistakenly believed the student held affection for him.
The defense also pointed out that Cheng had lost his teaching career as a result of the case and has since worked part-time while pursuing a master's degree in medical laboratory science, demonstrating a low-to-medium risk of reoffending.
Meanwhile, the court noted from the defendant's assessment that Cheng faced difficulties establishing age-appropriate romantic relationships and lacked proper insight into the power dynamics and societal boundaries inherent in teacher-student relationships.
Social workers have been advised to follow up on his case to help him develop healthy, age-appropriate relationship skills upon his release.
