26th January 2022 – (Hong Kong) At least 20 staff members of the “Children’s Residential Home” under the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children was arrested for abusing multiple infants and young children. All 35 children involved have been sent to the hospital for examination. The Society’s Executive Committee has received the first phase report of the Independent Review Committee and forwarded the report to the Social Welfare Department. The Society again today for the incident and pledged to speak out for “the weakest and most helpless” in society. The Independent Review Committee stated that no child abuse was found by the relevant management in the incident but there was insufficient supervision and the situation was unacceptable. It believed that the relevant management should resign, and all staff with ethical issues should be replaced.
The Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children apologised again today for the incident and proposed 3 improvement measures. Two high-level officials have resigned, including Susan So, the Director of Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children and the director of Children’s Residential Home, Tsui Wai-ying.
So far, the Society has interviewed 25 candidates and successfully recruited 3 applicants, and another 11 child care workers have been hired, pending the completion of health and background checks.