Police today reiterated that any search of a suspect can only be carried out by an officer of the same sex.

Police Public Relations Branch Chief Superintendent Tse Chun-chung made the remarks at a press conference, refuting online allegations that male officers had conducted searches on female suspects in Tung Chung and Causeway Bay.

“The truth is that on both occasions, the officers conducting the search were all female officers.

“I must reiterate that we have strict guidelines on the search of suspects. Only officers of the same sex of the suspect are allowed to perform a search.”

Mr Tse also clarified what constitutes the offence of taking part in a riot.

“According to Section 19 of the Public Order Ordinance of the Laws of Hong Kong, when any person taking part in an assembly - which is an unlawful assembly - commits a breach of the peace, the assembly is a riot and the persons assembled are riotously assembled.

“This means those who are assembled at the scene of a riot may already have committed an offence of taking part in a riot.”

It has nothing to do with people’s outfits, gear or why they appear at the riot scene in the first place, Mr Tse added.