18th September 2023 – (Hong Kong) In a recent court ruling at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts today, a man was sentenced for committing acts of molestation against two female invigilators during a Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination held at a school in Tseung Kwan O in April this year. The defendant, who represented himself as he had no legal counsel, pleaded guilty to the charges and expressed remorse, promising to reform his behaviour. Taking into account the circumstances of the case, recommendations, and the defendant’s admission of guilt, the judge sentenced him to 12 months of probation.
The accused, 24-year-old Ip Tin-long, stated in court documents that he was unemployed. He was charged with two counts of molestation, which occurred on 21st April, 2023, in two separate classrooms on the 6th floor of HKMLC Queen Maud Secondary School on Tseung Kwan O Road.
According to the case details, the two female invigilators, identified as X and Y, were teaching assistants who were assigned to the school to invigilate the DSE English Language Paper 1 examination. The three individuals involved did not know each other. On the morning of the incident at around 8am, while invigilating alongside X at the same table, the defendant placed his left hand on X’s right thigh for approximately 30 seconds. Despite X’s attempts to evade his advances, the defendant persisted and proceeded to pinch her right arm and hold her fingers. Later, at around 9am, during a break in another classroom, the defendant sat with Y. During this time, he placed his right hand on the outer side of Y’s left thigh and briefly swept it upwards for about a second. The two victims reported the incidents to the examination centre supervisor the following day, leading to the involvement of law enforcement agencies.
The court case was registered under file number KTCC1466/2023.