Advocates call for stronger consent laws as Hong Kong to criminalise persistent child sexual abuse and ‘cyberflashing’
A campaign group has continued to urge the government to impose limits on a defence allowing a sexual assault suspect to claim they mistakenly believed they had been given consent, after authorities announced stronger protections under upcoming sexual offences reforms. The group, which calls itself We Are X, after the placeholder name assigned to sexual […]
A Hong Kong advocacy group is pushing for stricter consent laws as the city prepares to enforce harsher penalties for child sexual abuse and "cyberflashing." The Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women (ACSVAW), which goes by the name "We Are X," welcomed the government's decision to propose criminalizing persistent child sexual abuse and "cyberflashing" – the act of sending unsolicited explicit pictures without consent.
However, the group expressed concern that defendants could still claim they mistakenly believed consent was given, using a loophole in the current legal framework. The group also urged the government to address the current burden of proof being placed on sexual assault survivors, which it claims is "stringent and unreasonable." ACSVAW and the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women jointly organized a press conference to discuss these reforms, which include expanding the scope of rape, redefining consent during sexual activity, and protecting mentally impaired individuals.
The group emphasized the need for an objective and effective legal framework for assessing sexual consent within the judicial system, and called for increased education efforts to address misconceptions about false accusations and lowered conviction thresholds.
Written by urgent.news from Hong Kong Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
