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Against Child Abuse (ACA) has urged the government to regularly review the effectiveness of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance and introduce further legal protections, as registered child abuse cases in Hong Kong have risen significantly in recent years.
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Citing figures from the Social Welfare Department’s Child Protection Registry, the NGO said on Wednesday that the rate of registered child abuse cases rose from 0.92 per 1,000 children in 2020 to 1.54 in 2025, an increase of 67 percent.
Child sexual abuse cases increased by 60 percent over the same period, from 313 to 501. Sexual abuse accounted for 37 percent of the 1,354 cases registered last year, matching physical abuse for the first time as the most common category.
ACA said the increase could be linked to several factors, including the aftermath of the pandemic, socioeconomic pressures on families, greater public awareness and changes in child protection legislation.
The organization also raised concerns about emerging threats in the digital age, including online child sexual exploitation, as well as staff shortages and the need for further professional training.
It called for regular reviews of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, which came into effect on January 20 this year and requires 25 categories of professionals in the social welfare, education and healthcare sectors to report suspected serious child abuse cases.
ACA said the government should consider expanding the legislation’s scope in future and introduce two additional statutory offenses: “failure to protect a child“ and “continuous sexual abuse of a child.“
The group also advocated stronger child protection policies within organizations working with children, early intervention for vulnerable families and additional support for victims recovering from abuse.
