Several serious child abuse cases have been exposed in Hong Kong recently. According to the Social Welfare Department, 1,504 new child abuse cases were registered in 2024, a record high and a substantial 66% increase compared to the 904 cases reported in 2020. While some of this rise may reflect improved awareness and reporting mechanisms, the consistently growing numbers indicate a serious problem that cannot be overlooked.
To make things worse, among the child abuse cases, the abusers are those close to or trusted by the victims; the cases would happen at home, in school or even children protection institutions.
Children Protection Institution
In 2021, 34 staff from a children residential home were found to have abused around 40 toddlers and children. Forms of abuse included slapping, poking at eyes, pulling hair and dragging.34 staff members charged and 33 ultimately convicted.
Tutoring Institution / Interest Class
In 2022, a volunteer tutor at a tutorial centre sexually harassed an 11-year-old boy. The tutor was accused of placing his hands on the boy’s thighs and inner thighs, as well as touching and pinching the boy’s groin through his clothing. The court ultimately convicted him of one count of indecent assault.
Parents
In 2020, a three-year-old girl died following a period of sustained abuse by her father. The child was subjected to multiple forms of violence, including being shaken so severely that she suffered a brain haemorrhage. The father also verbally abused her, stabbed her in the forehead—causing significant bruising—and forcibly pressed her face against her chest. He was subsequently convicted of murder.
Minimise the Risks of Abuse to Safeguard Children’s Well Being
“Child Safeguarding” is more effective than “Child Protection”. Even one child abuse case is too much. We are grateful that the government has passed the “Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Bill”, which came into effect on 20 January 2026. Through the legislation, professionals from the health, social work, and education sectors become mandatory reporters and the suspected cases have to be reported as soon as practicable. Besides, Plan International has been actively promoting the concept of “Child Safeguarding”. “Kindergarten Child Safeguarding Practice Manual” and Online Learning Platform and free workshops have been launched to bolster safety awareness among teachers, parents, and students.
In 2024, with the support of the Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation, we launched our inaugural Child Safeguarding Schools Award Programme. Collaborating with nearly 50 kindergartens, the programme provided professional training and tailored consultancy to establish comprehensive “Child Safeguarding Policy”. These frameworks enable schools to take precautionary and interventive steps to reduce child abuse cases, while simultaneously enhancing staff training, and improve parent-school communication. Over the past year, more than 200 workshops were conducted, reaching over 5,000 children, parents, and educators.
Major Programmes on Child Safeguarding
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Encourage Child-related Institutions to Implement the Child Safeguarding Policy
- Formulate a “Kindergarten Child Safeguarding Practice Manual” with concise and practical guidelines that could facilitate the implementation of the Policy in child-related organisations.
- Offer on-site workshops for consultation and addressing practical difficulties; provide immediate responses to queries from colleagues and staff.
- The inaugural Child Safeguarding Schools Award Programme was launched. Through this initiative, schools receive one-on-one consultancy services designed to assist them in establishing, reviewing, and optimising their safeguarding policies.
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Advocate Knowledge on Child Safeguarding
- Launch an Online Learning Platform and offer three levels of certificate programmes providing trainings and useful resources for all staff and relevant personnel.
- Organise Child Safeguarding related workshops for teaching staff and parents to learn how to protect children, for children to learn self-protection tips, and for adults to learn how to get along with children in a proper manner.
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Conduct Evidence-based Research
- Conduct researches on the Child Safeguarding Policy to further understand the progress of implementing the Policy in Hong Kong and the opinions of stakeholders on related matters.