XN000022-1995-01-11 — Page 13

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The Police Crime Prevention Bureau also maintains close liaison with the Housing Department on ways to improve and upgrade security in public housing estates to combat criminal activities, including sexual assault.

The Housing Department has taken a number of positive steps to prevent crime, including sexual assaults, in public housing estates. For example, in response to the series of sex-related crimes occurring in the Tuen Mun District in July last year, the Department has set up special waiting areas in all the public housing estates in the district and arranged for escort services, upon request, for female residents who come home late.

On a territory-wide basis, the Housing Department has begun implementing a $56 million improvement programme to upgrade security measures in public housing estates. The programme will help minimise the opportunity for sex-related and other crimes in the estates. Harmony and Trident blocks will be installed with security gates, doorphones and closed-circuit television inside lifts and at entrances. A guard will be posted at each of these blocks to monitor entry into the estates and activities inside the lifts. Blocks of other design, will be fitted with CCTV inside the lifts, which will be linked up to a control room for central monitoring by a security guard. All of these measures will contribute to a safer environment in public housing estates.

Assistance to Victims

So far as assistance to victims of such crime is concerned, we recognise that the impact of such crimes on the victims can be traumatic. We have therefore developed special procedures for dealing with them sympathetically and sensitively. All police officers are trained to be aware of the special needs of the victims of sexual crimes and the importance of appropriate treatment. Special training is given to a cadre of women police officers and these officers are assigned to deal with victims of rape or other serious sexual offences. Where necessary, the Police Force Clinical Psychologists will assist these officers in dealing with the victims.

Unfortunately, in Hong Kong as elsewhere, some sex crimes are not reported. We have taken steps to make the reporting of these crimes by the victim, less traumatic, so as to encourage fuller reporting. These measures include allowing the taking of statements at the victim's home, providing a comfortable atmosphere in the report room and the use of one-way identification mirrors.

We will also be proposing a number of legislative amendments to the Criminal Procedure Ordinance and the Evidence Ordinance in the current legislative session with a view to reducing the trauma of vulnerable witnesses when giving evidence in court. These amendments will allow vulnerable victims, including children under 14 for all crimes, and those under 17 for sex-related crimes, the mentally handicapped, and those who have been severely intimidated, to testify and be cross- examined in court by way of live video from a room nearby. This will improve the present arrangements for testimony in court by more vulnerable victims.