Police today launched a campaign, in collaboration with partners including the Commission on Children, to raise public awareness of child protection.

Addressing the opening ceremony for “Let's T.A.L.K. - Child Protection Campaign 2023”, Acting Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming highlighted that 716 cases of child abuse were reported in the first eight months of this year, an increase of nearly 30% compared with the same period last year.

He explained that the use of corporal punishment by parents when disciplining their children is a significant contributing factor, adding that such cases have seen a rise following the full resumption of classes after the pandemic.

The collective efforts of Police, government departments and non-governmental organisations to raise awareness about child protection in the community have also contributed to increased reporting of cases, he added.

The acting police chief also stressed that some child abuse cases are associated with online activities. In these cases, abusers have been found to establish contact with children through online platforms such as social media, dating apps and online games.

Noting that child protection work requires continuous and concerted effort by all sectors of the community, Mr Chow said online dangers are a major focus of this year’s campaign.

Activities include an interactive metaverse exhibition that enables participants to reflect on and visualise various aspects of child protection. A seminar will also be conducted on the theme of protecting children against cyber abuse.

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