Hong Kong minister says we don’t need to publicize every breach at care homes

The government should not draw public attention to any breach of codes of practice in care homes, Hong Kong’s welfare minister said, arguing that the decision to report a case should depend largely on the seriousness of the transgression.

Labor and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun Yuk-han defended the government’s position on Saturday after it emerged that warning letters had been sent to five care homes for people with disabilities in the past year over concerns they were not meeting standards to prevent abuse of residents. .

One facility was Hong Chi Pinehill Hostel Kwong Fuk Integrated Vocational Training Centre, which received a letter in August.

A staff member was accused of raping a female resident and sexually assaulting a man in the same month, but the case only came to light on Wednesday when the operator, the Hong Chi Association and the Department of Social Welfare made separate announcements.

Sun told the media on Saturday that the government made the announcement because of the seriousness of the breach and the social attention it is attracting.

“We believe that not all cases need to be fully disclosed to the public, as was done in the case of the Hong Chi Association,” he said. “Some violations are more technical and partial and it is appropriate to handle them according to procedures.”