NGO warns of alarming rise in child abuse cases

RTHK - Sep 23, 2026

NGO Against Child Abuse on Wednesday called for legislative reform and stepped-up action to tackle child abuse, describing the rising trend in cases in recent years as alarming. According to official figures, the number of suspected child abuse cases rose from 940 in 2020 to 1,354 in 2025. The organisation said it is particularly concerning that sexual abuse cases reached parity with cases involving physical abuse for the first time last year, with both surging to 501. The group attributed the rise in cases to several factors, including the lingering impact of Covid, increased online activity, heightened economic pressure, landmark court decisions, and growing public awareness. Professor Patrick Ip, an executive member of Against Child Abuse, noted that studies show children who experienced abuse face an increased risk of self-harm and suicidal thoughts, alongside a greater likelihood of developing conditions such as ADHD and obesity. He stressed that early intervention is essential and called on institutions to work together. "We would suggest Hong Kong needs a systematic monitoring, data-driven approach, using a collaborative platform working together with our NGOs, with our universities in order to generate good evidence and then a data-driven approach to see how we can modify the family functioning, strengthening the parenting capacity...

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