Over 90% of public submissions support Hong Kong sexual offences reform, says security chief

Over 90 per cent of more than 6,000 public submissions have voiced support for Hong Kong’s sexual offences reform, the city’s security chief has said, as he pledged to table a bill to the legislature within the year.

Booklets published by Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women on sexual assault and sexual law reform. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang also said on Friday that the government had noted public views regarding the introduction of a specific “persistent child sexual abuse“ offence, and would continue dialogue with stakeholders.

“In particular, we note that the Bar Association has said it ‘largely agreed’ to establish the offence,” Tang told reporters in Cantonese.

Tang’s remarks come two days after a one-month public consultation for the sweeping reforms concluded on Wednesday.

The authorities are seeking to introduce dozens of new offences to Hong Kong’s archaic sex laws, including provisions to protect mentally impaired people, as well as to expand the scope of rape, and redefine consent during sexual activity.

See also: Hong Kong moves to reform its archaic sex laws, but victims of prolonged child sexual abuse feel left out

But rights groups, including the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women (ACSVAW), have urged authorities to introduce a specific offence to tackle persistent child sexual abuse.

They argued that the proposals fail to protect survivors of prolonged childhood sexual violence, as current laws require victims to specify the exact date and location of each assault.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Rights groups also suggested that the defence of “honest but mistaken belief” should be ruled out if a sexual assault suspect cannot prove they had sought consent.

However, Tang on Friday said the government believed that a proposed list of 11 circumstances where victims would not be considered as consenting to sexual activity was sufficient to address the matter.

Enact legislation by next June

Tang pledged that the government would submit a bill on the reforms to the Legislative Council within this year, adding that the goal was to enact the legislation before the current administration’s term ends in June next year.

Hong Kong’s sex crimes laws were mostly based on erstwhile laws of England and Wales last updated in the 1970s, when the city was still a British colony.

“We are X” and the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women jointly host a press conference on July 8, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The Law Reform Commission (LRC) was tasked with reviewing relevant laws to kickstart reform in 2006, but it took 20 years for the government to propose an overhaul.

The current proposals, announced in June, adopted the recommendations from the LRC albeit without a specific offence on persistent child sexual abuse.