69381-1920-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time--Supplementary-Appropriation-for-1919--Appropriation-for-1921-Plants-Protection-of-Women-and-Girls-Criminal-Intimidation — Page 4

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A BILL

INTITULED

An Ordinance to amend the Protection of

Women and Girls Ordinance, 1897.

Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Protection of Short title. Women and Girls Ordinance, 1920, and shall be read

and construed as one with the Protection of Women and Girls Ordinance, 1897, and with the Protection of Ordinances Women and Girls Amendment Ordinance, 1917, and Nos. 4 of the said Ordinances and this Ordinance may be cited 1897 and together as the Protection of Women and Girls Ordi- 12 of 1917. nances, 1897 to 1920.

2. Section 18 of the Protection of Women and Girls Amendment Ordinance, 1897, as enacted by section 3 of the Protec- of Ordinance tion of Women and Girls Amendment Ordinance, 1917, No. 4 of is repealed and the following section is substituted therefor :-

or harbour-

Receiving 18.-(1.) Every person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour who without lawful authority or excuse, proof of which shall lie on the accused,-

ing women

or girls

brought

into the Colony by

force, etc.

(a) receives or harbours any woman or girl who has been brought into or is about to be taken away from the Colony by force, intimidation or fraud;

or

(b) receives or harbours any un- married girl under the age of 21 years without the consent of the person having the law- ful care or charge of her.

(2.) When any person accused under para- graph (b) of sub-section (1) of this section is proved to have received or harboured any female who appears to the magistrate to be under the age of 21 years, it shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed (a) that the female was an unmarried girl, and was under the age of 21 years, at the date of the alleged offence, and (b) that the accused received or harboured her without the consent of the person having the lawful care or charge of her.

(3.) No prosecution under this section shall be instituted without the consent of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs: provided that the consent of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs shall not be necessary for the arrest of any person suspected of having committed an offence under this section.

1897, s. 18, as enacted by Ordi- nance No. 12 of 1917, s. 3.

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