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MOVEMENTS IN THE VALUE OF SUCH LAND WERE MEASURED EVERY SIX MONTHS, AND CONVERTED INTO THE BASIC EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION RATE PAYABLE UPON RESUMPTION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMULA PROPOSED IN SIR Y.K. KAN'S REPORT, MR BARNES ADDED.

+ALTHOUGH THE MARKET VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND HAS NOW REACHED ONCE AGAIN ITS 1981 LEVEL, VALUES OF DEVELOPABLE LAND IN THE THREE NEW TOWNS HAVE NOT IN GENERAL TERMS REACHED THE LEVEL PREVAILING IN 1981- HENCE THE EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION RATES PAYABLE NOW ARE LOWER THAN THOSE PAYABLE IN 1981, HE SAID.

PROPORTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF HANDICAPPED CASES SMALL

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SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST MENTALLY HANDICAPPED FEMALES ONLY CONSTITUTE A SMALL PROPORTION OF REPORTED SEXUAL ABUSE CASES

THE HON MICHAEL FOR THE WHOLE POPULATION, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THOMAS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP, MR THOMAS SAID THE POLICE HAB KEPT SEPARATE STATISTICS ON SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST MENTALLY HANDICAPPED FEMALES ONLY SINCE JANUARY 1983.

+TWELVE CASES WERE REPORTED IN 1983, SIX IN 1984, 22 IN 1985 AND 20 IN 1986, HE SAID. FOR THE WHOLE POPULATION, MR THOMAS SAID 1 179 CASES OF SEXUAL OFFENCES WERE REPORTED IN 1983, 1 218 IN 1984, 1 356 IN 1985 AND 1 330 IN 1986.

+IN VIEW OF THE RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD DURING WHICH STATISTICS HAVE BEEN KEPT, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DRAW ANY MEANINGFUL CONCLUSION AS TO TRENDS,+ HE EXPLAINED.

MR THOMAS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE ALWAYS DIFFICULTIES OF A LEGAL NATURE IN PROSECUTING CASES OF SEXUAL ABUSE, THERE IS RARELY AN EYE WITNESS PRESENT, SOME OFFENCES SPECIFICALLY REQUIRE CORROBORATION.

+AND IN OTHERS, THE LAW RECOGNISES THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO CONVICT ON THE EVIDENCE OF THE VICTIM ALONE AND LOOKS FOR CORROBORATING EVIDENCE, THAT IS TO SAY, INDEPENDENT EVIDENCE WHICH SUPPORTS THE TESTIMONY OF THE VICTIM IN RELATION TO THE ELEMENTS OF THE CHARGE.

+SUCH EVIDENCE 13 OFTEN NOT AVAILABLE,+ HE SAID.