HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court’s 13-year prison sentence for a man convicted of sexually abusing his stepdaughter has exposed how the city’s criminal framework struggles to capture the full scope of prolonged child sexual abuse, forcing prosecutors to rely on a narrow set of specific incidents rather than a pattern of persistent offending.
The woman, identified by Hong Kong Free Press as Mui under a pseudonym to protect her identity, told police in 2024 that her stepfather repeatedly abused her over a period of seven years, beginning when she was 13 and continuing until she turned 20. According to her witness statement, there were at least 100 incidents during that time. Despite the reported frequency, Hong Kong’s current legal approach requires prosecutors to anchor charges to precise dates, locations and acts.
Charges limited to “sample” incidents
Because no single offence in Hong Kong’s statute book encompasses a continuous course of sexual abuse, investigators and prosecutors focused on a handful of incidents that could be dated and described in detail. Five “sample charges” were ultimately filed to represent the alleged pattern. In May, a court convicted the stepfather of one count of rape, two counts of indecent assault, and one count of gross indecency with a child under 16. He was acquitted on a second rape count.
| Charge | Count(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 2 | 1 convicted, 1 acquitted |
| Indecent assault | 2 | Convicted |
| Gross indecency with a child under 16 | 1 | Convicted |
| Total sentence | — | 13 years’ imprisonment |
Mui said the approach left her feeling that much of what she endured was not reflected in court. She described the burden of recounting specific dates and places across years of abuse as painful and, in many instances, impossible to recall with precision.
“There were too many incidents and it was hard to recall each,” she said, adding that she felt the case “only emphasised that he did something [sexually abusive], and that it was all finished while I still had lots to share.”
Barriers to reporting and the timing of disclosure
Mui told the outlet that as an adolescent she suffered in silence. Her stepfather was the family’s financial provider, and she feared that reporting him could leave her and her mother without a home. She did not approach police until she had left the family home, secured work and received help from social workers. She spoke to police in 2024, years after the alleged abuse began, underscoring the delayed disclosure that is common in cases of childhood sexual violence.
Hong Kong Free Press noted it grants anonymity to known sources under defined conditions in its ethics code, including concerns for safety and risk of reprisals. The outlet said senior editors approved anonymity for Mui due to those considerations.
Legal framework under scrutiny
The case has intensified attention on how Hong Kong’s laws treat persistent sexual abuse of children. As it stands, prosecutors must tie charges to discrete events, a structure that can be mismatched with the realities of long-term exploitation, where victims may not be able to set out exact timelines or details for every incident.
In Mui’s matter, the use of representative or “sample” charges allowed the court to consider part of the alleged conduct and impose a substantial sentence. Yet, by definition, that approach does not capture all of what victims say occurred over months or years. Mui’s reflections point to the emotional and evidentiary toll such requirements impose, and to a sense of incomplete justice even when convictions are secured.
- Scope vs. specificity: The need for precise incident details can exclude patterns of abuse that are difficult to date.
- Delayed reporting: Economic dependency and fear of homelessness deterred disclosure during the alleged abuse period.
- Partial courtroom record: Sample charges advanced the case but left much of the alleged conduct outside the formal findings.
The court’s findings in May resulted in a combined sentence of 13 years for the stepfather. For Mui, the outcome closed one chapter. But her account — and the constraints it revealed — has become part of a broader conversation in Hong Kong about whether the law adequately addresses prolonged sexual offences against children and the evidentiary realities survivors face.
