Sexual violence survivors are often reluctant to report their cases to authorities for fear of reliving the trauma as the police investigate and during court proceedings, a Hong Kong NGO has said as it released an animation shedding light on the issue.
People cross the street in Hong Kong. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
Anti-sexual violence group RainLily on Thursday published the video based on the true stories of survivors, who the group said may not feel comfortable pursuing legal action in seeking justice.
The number of rape cases reported to Hong Kong authorities ranged between 50 and 79 from 2019 to 2023, with 67 cases reported last year, acting security chief Michael Cheuk said in response to questions from a lawmaker on Wednesday.
However, RainLily said it had received 182 reports of rape in 2023 – 2.7 times higher than the police figure – according to a report the NGO published in October. Sexual violence cases for which the NGO provided “in-depth follow-up” had also been on the rise over the past five years.
The NGO said only 41.4 per cent of cases seeking its help had also reported to the police in the past five years, with victims on average delaying over 1,500 days in seeking help over the same period.
“Many RainLily cases were reluctant to report to authorities because they worried about having to repeatedly expose their traumatic experience and privacy in legal proceedings, facing the assailant again in court, and coming under great distress for being publicly interrogated on details of sexual violence experiences,” the NGO said in a press release on Thursday.
Its animation featured a character being challenged for not reporting to police and resorting to the law after experiencing sexual violence. The character said they wanted a genuine apology from the assailant more than they wanted them to go to jail.
RainLily said the video was based on the stories of survivors whose rapists were convicted after trial did not accept any accountability throughout the legal process.
The video also showed the character finding solace in RainLily’s online support services and a counselling group with other survivors of sexual violence, and highlighted the “alternatives to justice” offered by the court, such as through advocacy and talking to the media.
RainLily said the character was empowered by these alternatives and wanted to convey a message to other survivors: “You are not wrong, you are not alone.”
Executive Director Doris Chong said RainLily hoped the animation could draw people’s attention to the importance of counselling and peer support for sexual violence survivors.
The Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong also published two reports in 2019 and 2022 respectively, suggesting the creation of non-consensual sexual offences that would protect children and people with mental disabilities.
Authorities said they planned to conduct a public consultation regarding the matter in 2025 but did not specify a timetable for the legal amendment, according Cheuk’s response on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the number of cases of “naked chat” blackmail in which the victims were under 21 had risen almost 10-fold in the past five years, with 45 reported cases in 2019 and 444 in 2023, according to the reply.
The number of sexual offences cases against children under 17 had also increased, from 422 in 2019 to 696 in 2023.
💡If you are suffering from sexual or domestic violence, regardless of your age or gender, contact the police, Harmony House (click for details) and/or the Social Welfare Department on 28948896.Dial 999 in emergencies.
