The Secretary for Labour and Welfare in Hong Kong has defended the two-month delay in announcing cases of suspected sexual assault at a care home for the disabled. Chris Sun explained that the delay was necessary in order to ensure the emotional stability of the victims before making the information public.
The incident occurred at the Hong Chi Pinehill Integrated Vocational Training Centre in Tai Po back in August. A staff member was suspected of abusing two individuals at the care home and was subsequently arrested. The Hong Chi Association, which runs the care home, and the Social Welfare Department released statements about the incident, following concerns raised by a parent about their child’s injury.
After reviewing CCTV footage, it was discovered that two service recipients had been harmed by a staff member. The association took immediate action by terminating the staff member and setting up an independent committee to investigate the case. The Social Welfare Department also deployed officers for unannounced inspections and issued a warning to the care home to ensure the protection of individuals with disabilities from abuse.
The victims and their families were the primary concern for the authorities and the association, as they wanted to ensure that they were emotionally and mentally stable before the incident was made public. This delay was crucial to prevent further harm to those who had already been affected by the abuse.
The care home provides services to adults with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities, and it also offers residential services. The Hong Chi Association is known as one of the city’s largest NGOs serving people with intellectual disabilities, and they take the protection and well-being of their service recipients very seriously.
Following the report of suspected sexual assault involving a 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man, a 38-year-old man was arrested, and legal procedures are currently underway. The safety and protection of vulnerable individuals in care homes is of utmost importance, and swift action must be taken to address any incidents of abuse or harm.
It is essential for care homes and organizations that serve individuals with disabilities to have robust safeguarding measures in place to prevent and respond to cases of abuse. The well-being and safety of these individuals should always be the top priority, and any delay in announcing incidents of abuse should be done with the victims’ best interests in mind.