Hong Kong government statistician cleared of loitering charge near girls’ school

A Hong Kong court has acquitted 59-year-old Patrick Lam Win-hon, a government statistician, of charges of loitering near a girls' school and outside a classroom to photograph a pupil. The court ruled that his conduct did not pose an actual threat, despite leaving the girl feeling unsafe. Lam had loitered at Causeway Bay's leading girls' school on July 5th the previous year, spending 14 minutes on the fourth floor where the classroom of the allegedly targeted pupil was located.

Other students alerted teachers to the defendant's suspicious behavior, including his taking photographs through the classroom window. The target, a 16-year-old girl, reported that Lam had followed her for two to three years, first noticing his interest while commuting on the MTR in late 2022. She later spotted him in the same carriage traveling from Olympic to Hong Kong station, even waiting for her on the platform when she changed trains at Central for Causeway Bay.

The girl changed her routine to avoid the defendant but found he would still wait for her on the platform. Lam admitted to following the girl, stating he wanted to know her as she resembled an old friend. Police found 46 photographs taken at the school, with 17 capturing the girl's face. Despite the girl's subjective concern for her safety, the court found that Lam's behavior did not objectively pose a threat or pose a safety alert.

The magistrate stated that the loitering charge was inappropriate for addressing the incident, as it only applies to threatening behavior. He suggested anti-stalking legislation would be more suitable for handling such conduct, noting that the proposed law was still under discussion.