XN000022-1985-11-05 — Page 13

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1985 ·

12

EQUAL CONCERN FOR CRIME VICTIMS URGED

*****

THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR CHAN WA-SHEK, TODAY URGED THAT EQUAL CONCERN SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR THE WELFARE OF THE VICTIMS OF CRIME AS THAT FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THE OFFENDERS.

+ONLY WHEN THE NEEDS AND THE INTERESTS OF THE VICTIMS ARE FULLY CATERED TO CAN WE CLAIM THAT WE HAVE A BALANCED CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, + HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG NORTHWEST, MR CHAN SAID THAT IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, CERTAIN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES HAD BEEN PROVIDING MORE MEANS OF HELPING VICTIMS TO COPE WITH THE AFTERMATH OF CRIME.

+SUCH SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE INCLUDE THE PROVISION OF SAFE HOUSES FOR BATTERED WIVES AND CHILDREN, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO ASSAULT AND RAPE VICTIMS, COUNSELLING, LEGAL AID OR OTHER FORMS OF ADVICE, AND PREVENTIVE AND SAFEGUARD MEASURES, HE SAID.

IN HONG KONG, HE SAID, COMPENSATION SCHEMES FOR CRIME VICTIMS WERE GOVERNMENT RUN AND FUNDED BY THE PUBLIC.

ONE IS THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME WHICH PAYS COMPENSATION TO VICTIMS OF CRIMES OF VIOLENCE. A TOTAL OF 8 683 CRIMES WERE REPORTED TO THE POLICE LAST YEAR ON MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER, ROBBERIES IN WHICH VICTIMS WERE INJURED, ASSAULTS, ARSON, RAPE AND INDECENT ASSAULT ON FEMALE. DURING THE SAME PERIOD, 1 159 APPLICATIONS WERE SUBMITTED TO THE SCHEME FOR ASSISTANCE.

ANOTHER COMPENSATION SCHEME IS THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME WHICH AIMS AT PROVIDING PROMPT FINANCIAL HELP TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS, OR THEIR DEPENDANTS, REGARDLESS OF

A TOTAL OF WHOEVER PARTY IS AT FAULT IN CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. 20 135 PERSONS WERE INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT LAST YEAR AND 6 398 APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WERE RECEIVED BY THE SCHEME.

MR CHAN NOTED THAT THE RELUCTANCE OF MANY VICTIMS TO REPORT AN OFFENCE WAS WELL KNOWN IN CRIMINOLOGICAL AND POLICE CIRCLES,

ACCORDING TO A VICTIMIZATION STUDY COMPLETED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT IN 1979, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT ONLY 28.6 PER CENT OF THE CRIMES OF RAPE AND INDECENT ASSAULT WERE REPORTED TO THE POLICE WHILE REPORTING RATES FOR OTHER CRIMES WERE ALSO NOT HIGH.

WHILST THE