On Monday, the Hong Kong Security Bureau submitted a document to Legislative Council members, proposing amendments to long-standing laws on sexual offences, covering five key areas including non-consensual sexual offences, protection of children and persons with mental impairment, to strengthen protection for victims and ensure the law keeps pace with the times.
According to reports from AFP and Sing Tao Daily, Hong Kong’s current laws on sexual offences are still based on related laws passed by the United Kingdom in 1956. The government pointed out that some provisions in the current law "lack clarity and certainty," some offences have "gender-specific" characteristics, and some penalties do not fully reflect the severity of the acts.
According to the proposed amendments, Hong Kong plans to further clarify the scope of the offence of rape, and for the first time, legally define the term “consent.” In addition, authorities recommend new provisions for sexual offences involving child victims and victims with mental impairment, strengthening protection for vulnerable groups.
The proposed amendments also include expanding the scope of incest, and suggest the introduction of new offences such as sexual exposure, penetrative sexual acts with animals, and sexual acts involving corpses.
The government stated that the aim of the amendments is to “strengthen protection for victims of sexual offences” and to modernize and update the relevant laws "in step with the times."
For many years, several advocacy groups and survivors of sexual violence in Hong Kong have continuously called on the government to strengthen legislation in this area. According to data from Hong Kong’s Rainlily Sexual Violence Crisis Center, from 2019 to 2023, a total of 807 related cases were reported to the police, but only 51 resulted in convictions after preliminary hearings.
The Hong Kong government has stated that the public consultation on the proposed amendments will end in July this year. Authorities previously disclosed the goal of completing the legislative work by June 2027.