Justice department seeks harsher sentences in Pik Uk prison assault case

Hong Kong prosecutors have lodged an application to review the sentences handed down to a former correctional officer and three inmates convicted over the violent assault of a remanded youth at Pik Uk Correctional Institution, arguing that the original punishments were manifestly inadequate.

The case dates back more than two years to an incident inside the Sai Kung facility, where a remanded teenager splashed baby powder onto a prison officer.

The officer, alongside four detained youths, subsequently carried out a retaliatory attack that inflicted severe rectal and internal injuries on the victim. 

Law enforcement and correctional services subsequently brought charges against six individuals, including a supervisor accused of turning a blind eye and failing to report the abuse, on counts including wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Following court proceedings before Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che, the former Assistant Officer II, 35-year-old Tam Lik-chung, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. One of the detainees, 22-year-old Ho, also admitted to the wounding charge.

Two other inmates, 21-year-old Li Tsz-yui and 22-year-old Lam Shing-wai, were convicted of wounding with intent following their trial. The remaining two defendants in the wider case were acquitted of all charges.

Judge Yau sentenced Tam to three years in prison, while Ho, Li, and Lam each received additional sentences ranging from four to six months of imprisonment.

The Department of Justice concluded that the sentences failed to reflect the gravity and brutality of the offenses committed against the inmate, prompting prosecutors to initiate a formal sentence review to seek significantly heavier custodial terms for Tam and the three convicted prisoners.

The sentence review application will be brought before the higher appellate court, where prosecutors will outline their legal grounds asserting that the initial penalties were disproportionately lenient.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓