Published: 8:02pm, 25 Jun 2025Updated: 9:36pm, 25 Jun 2025
The number of child sexual abuse cases in Hong Kong has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching more than 500 last year, with over one in five of the perpetrators aged 16 and below, authorities have said amid a rise in harmful incidents targeting youngsters.
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Lawmakers on Wednesday called for the government to urgently address a rise in the number of younger child sex abusers. They also asked authorities to release the guidelines for the coming mandatory reporting mechanism for suspected child abuse as soon as possible.
According to the latest figures from the Social Welfare Department, 1,504 child abuse cases were recorded last year, up from 1,457 in 2023 and 1,439 in 2022.
Last year’s figure comprised 595 cases of physical abuse, 522 incidents of sexual abuse, 328 cases of neglect, 43 reports of multiple abuse and another 16 involving psychological abuse.
The data showed that 120 of the 542 perpetrators in sexual abuse cases last year were aged 16 and below, accounting for 22 per cent of the total. Ninety-six of them were aged 17 to 22.
Among the perpetrators of sexual abuse, 181 were the victims’ schoolmates, friends or peers.