Former care home warden guilty of raping intellectually disabled female resident

A former assistant warden at a care home run by Hong Kong's largest NGO for people with intellectual disabilities has been found guilty of raping a female resident five times over two years ago. The High Court's verdict on Wednesday brings a high-profile case to a close after it sparked public outrage and led the Hong Chi Association to appoint an independent review committee to improve facility oversight.

The jury, consisting of five men and two women, convicted Chung Pui-kei, 38, of five counts of raping the mentally incapacitated resident at a Tai Po home operated by the association. The jury rejected the defendant's claim that the 23-year-old victim fabricated the allegations due to jealousy or resentment after their romantic feelings for each other went unfulfilled.

During the trial, it emerged that the woman, whose intellectual functioning was comparable to that of a nine-year-old, viewed Chung as a "very friendly" warden who often engaged in conversation, played video games with her, and occasionally provided her with marshmallows. Prosecutors argued that the defendant abused the woman's trust and raped her three times in a male staff room and twice in her room between July 13 and August 9, 2024.

Detectives recovered condoms and other items linked to sexual intercourse from Chung's locker, as well as a bedsheet from the woman's room containing his semen and the victim's DNA. During the trial, Chung denied any sexual activity with the woman, claiming their interactions consisted of casual conversation. He also attempted to explain his presence in the women's ward on August 9, 2024, by stating he had been there to investigate a suspected fire and stayed for an hour due to the woman's difficulty sleeping.

The former assistant warden contended that he had not ejaculated and suggested the semen found on the bedsheet might have been sweat instead.

The woman, diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder, was not found to be displaying psychotic symptoms during two assessments conducted in August and November 2024. Senior Public Prosecutor, Human Lam Hiu-man, dismissed the defendant's account as implausible and illogical, emphasizing the woman's mental stability and asserting that her allegations were not the result of hallucinations.

Chung's defense attorney, Lawrence Hui Cheuk-lun, sought to undermine the victim's credibility by highlighting discrepancies in her account and questioning the lack of physical or psychological trauma. The judge is set to deliver his sentencing on October 14, pending a victim impact report and psychiatric and psychological evaluations of Chung.