SED on school circular on handling suspected cases of child abuse

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, at a media session after officiating at the opening ceremony of the 51st Joint School Science Exhibition today (August 22):

Reporter: But if the schools refuse to report those (child abuse) cases immediately, will there be any punishment?

Secretary for Education: I think in the past, we have said it very clearly that if the schools have noticed some abnormalities, they have a duty to report to the relevant authorities. Under the same rationale, if they have noticed cases that are justified for reporting to the Police, they should do so.

Reporter: Why do you think it is necessary for the schools to report the cases immediately even without the parents’ consent?

Secretary for Education: It depends on how serious the cases are, and if it is really necessary, and if it is threatening the safety of the children, I think that the schools should take necessary actions.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)