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582
THE HONG KONG WEEKLY PRESS &
AMAZING EVIDENCE IN
PROSECUTION
Girl Tells Of Being Forced
To Practise Prostitution
October 7, 1938
S. C. A.
said witness, who added that she first met Chau Ma-lee, another girl, in the same hotel just before leaving Shanghai.
"Then we went to Swatow, Chau Ma-lee, Chau Lee-lee and myself,' continued witness. "That was about April 1936. When I got to Swatow I lived with Chu Po-chu.
UNEMPLOYED MAN, THREE MOMEN together with Chau Ma-lee, Chau
FACE SERIOUS CHARGES
"At the house where first and second defendants were living I was asked to practise prostitution. I was not willing, but they forced me to comply with their wishes. They beat me if I did not obey them. I finally did. I received money and I handed it to them."
This startling statement was made at the Central Court on Sept. 26 by a 19-year-old girl when she gave evidence before Mr. H. R. Butters.
information, Following
the
Chinese Secretariat for
Affairs carried out surprise raids which resulted in the detention of a man and three women.
They were:-
Lee-lee, Chau Lo-sam, fourth de- fendant, and Chin Tang-kan.
"
"I WAS NOT WILLING
"At this house where first and second defendants were living I was asked to practise prostitution. I was not willing, but first and second defendants forced me to comply with their wishes. They beat me if I would not practise. I finally did. I received money and I handed it over to them.
"
This went on for more than a year. During this time Chin Oi- going back and that she intended fun arrived. Several months after to pay the sum of $500 in Shang- her arrival we came to Hongkong. hai currency to Lo-sam to buy When Chin Oi-fun was in Swa- and back her freedom. Lo-sam de- tow, second defendant forced her to be a prostitute. She refused. manded $500 in Hongkong cur-
defendant beat her. rency and invited Ma-lee to come Second
Eventually she gave in and be- to discuss the matter.
came a prostitute."
Chin Tung-kan, unemployed; Chu Po-chu, married woman; Ng
woman; Siu-ying, married Chau Lo-sam, widow, who were jointly charged yesterday with trafficking in women and girls and harbouring women and girls sold for prostitution.
Chin Tung-kan was additionally charged with living on the earn- ings of prostitutes; and the three women were also accused of exer- cising control over prostitutes.
The unfortunate girls were Chin Fei-fei, Chin Oi-fun, Chau Lei-lei and Chau Ma-lee, all of whom were about 20 years of age.
Mr. J.
Prentis, Assistant B. Crown Solicitor, was in charge of the prosecution, assisted by Detec- tive Sub-Inspector J. O'Donovan.
Mr. J. M. D'Almada Remedios pleaded not guilty to all charges on behalf of all defendants.
on
After 10 p.m. on August 25 the
and party met
the manageress took them to see Miss P. Harrop, Lady Assistant at the S.C.A., and investigations, Chin following Tung-kan and Chau Lo-sam were detained.
Eleven documents were found in the house where the two persons were living. Some of the docu- ments related to the sale of girls.
Soon afterwards the houses where the other defendants lived were visited and documents of a similar nature were seized.
GIRL'S EVIDENCE
In the witness box, Chin Fei-fei, aged 19, said that she had been adopted by a woman in Shanghai who later went to live with a man
named Sham. Witness stated that
Witness continued that second defendant and her two children came to Hongkong first. Three or four days after Chin Tung-kan and Chau Lo-sam and the four girls followed. When they arrived here they resided at 1, Chun Shing Street. After remaining in the Colony for about 12 days the party went back to Swatow, and a few days later returned to the same address in Hongkong.
CHANGED HOUSE
"We lived there for over 10 days when we moved to Third Street where we started our business. Then we moved to Staunton Street," said witness.
46
'Chin Oi-fun and myself were removed to Third Street again where we were forced to practise prostitution by first and second defendants. They beat me if I refused.
The third defendant, Ng Siu- ying, was remanded till Thursday. Mr. Prentis, after relating the circumstances under which the four girls had come to the Colony, her parents died about nine years said that they had been carry- ago and when she was adopted she was sold to Chu Po-chu, for ing
prostitution
some
second defendant. time in the Colony. When their
"That was a few months after "I first met Chin Tung-kan, our arrival at Hongkong." "business" dropped two of the
a house in girls later became guides in an first defendant, in
Shanghai. There were three per- escort bureau,
sons in the house including Chu BUY BACK FREEDOM
Po-chu and Chau Lo-sam. I was On August 4, Chau Ma-lee failed locked in a room and the others to return home from the escort talked outside. Then they bureau. Chin Tung-kan and Chau brought me to a hotel. Chu Po- went to the bureau to chu and Chau Lo-sam were there. Lo-sam locate her and later in the day Ma- "That night I saw Chu Po-chu's lee telephoned to the manageress father who wrote on red paper of the bureau. Chau Lo-sam and asked me to impress by finger went to the phone and learned print on it. Nothing was told to from Ma-lee that she was not me when I signed the document,"
Witness said that she was again taken back to Swatow, and later was brought back to Hongkong and resided at Staunton Street.
"When I returned to Staunton Street we acted as guides in an escort bureau, but practised pro- stitution occasionally, being forced by second defendant to do so," concluded witness.
After further evidence, the
hearing was adjourned till this afternoon.