Dear Miss Louisa Ng, The
Secretary
Thank you for your invitation dated 31 July 2019 to the
captioned consultation. The following are Parents for The Family Association's
responses:
1)
We agree that the existing legal provisions
are insufficient to address the problems and liabilities of how to regulate and
prevent the causing or allowing the death or serious harm of a child/vulnerable
person.
2)
Your consultation, unfortunately, is
launched at the wrong time when Hong Kong is overwhelmed by the recent
political turmoil arising from the so-called anti-extradition movements. Some
of our members and friends told us that they were simply NOT in the mood of
responding to your consultation when Hong Kong's future is at stake.
3)
There are
touchy issues arising from your consultation, e.g.
a. How would you balance the individual human rights
and obligations under the existing laws of Hong Kong?
b. In terms of “duty of care”, we have queries on
whether people like teachers and part-time caretakers will become liable under
the proposed amendments. If so, do they have reasonable defences?
c. Do immediate domestic neighbours have a responsibility
to report suspected child abuses?
4)
Having regard
to what have been put forward above, we
suggest that your commission to postpone the consultation deadline. Even better, another round of consultation
should be conducted after Hong Kong has returned to her normal and peaceful
situation plus the normal and effective resumption of the Legislative Council
of Hong Kong.
5)
No matter what
you would decide, we look forward to future opportunities to express and
exchange our views with your commission or the relevant authorities on the
respective matters and issues covered in the captioned consultation. For
instance, we may consider attending public hearing as arranged by the relevant
Bills committee of the Legislative Council.
We would like to wish your commission and Hong Kong
well.
Howard Lai, President,
Parents for The Family Association
