Mui, a woman who suffered persistent child sexual abuse for years, poses for a photo in Hong Kong on June 16 after speaking on the condition of anonymity about her childhood experience. | AFP-JIJI
AFP-JIJI
Jul 20, 2026
Hong Kong – Hong Kong NGO worker Jessie recalled freezing in panic when she said she was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance one summer, unable to resist while he proceeded without her consent.
Years later, she testified against him, but rather than feeling empowered, she felt “oppressed and helpless” as she watched the man walk free under decades-old laws Hong Kong is now seeking to overhaul.
“The defense lawyer asked: ’why didn’t you fight back at the time, bite or hit him?’” she said, adding that the court failed to consider she had been unable to resist the assault due to fear.
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