A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to seven years in jail after pleading guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl 40 years ago. The victim, who later suffered from trauma and depression, took her own life at the age of 29.
Wong Chun-chuen appeared in High Court on Tuesday. He was arrested and charged in 2021 with one count of rape and one count of robbery. The robbery charge was left on court file, Ming Pao reported.
According to the case details, Wong followed the 13-year-old student to her sister’s home in Tuen Mun – where the girl usually went during lunch – on January 20, 1983. Wong then pushed the victim and raped her. He took HK$160 from the flat before running from the scene.
Prosecution told the court that the girl immediately reported the assault to the nearest police station, where she was seen to be emotionally agitated and could not stop crying. She reported experiencing vaginal pain and bleeding.
The police arrived at the crime scene and collected trousers, underwear, blood-stained tissues, and other items that were found to have semen on them. They also obtained a palm print from the wardrobe, but said they were unable to verify the person’s identity at the time due to technological restraints.
In 2008, the fingerprint identification system was digitalised. Soon after, the palm print collected at the crime scene was found to belong to Wong.
Wong was arrested in Tsuen Wan 13 years later during a routine identity check on the street. He had a criminal record of six robbery and theft convictions, including one that involved breaking into a home and tying up a woman in 2000.
HKFP has reached out to police to enquire why Wong was arrested 13 years after he was identified.
The victim later suffered from trauma and depression. According to prosecution, she worked as a teacher at a tutoring centre but was in and out of hospital over the 10 years before she took her own life in 1999.
High Court Recorder Derek Chan said in court on Tuesday that while the reason for the suicide was unknown, Wong had clearly stripped the girl of the chance to enjoy a normal life when she was very young.
Considering Wong’s violence in a place the victim should have felt safe, Chan adopted a starting point of 10 years for sentencing.
As Wong had pleaded guilty and had not committed any crimes since 2002, Chan reduced Wong’s sentence to seven years in jail.
| 💡If you are in need of support, please call: The Samaritans 2896 0000 (24-hour, multilingual), Suicide Prevention Centre 2382 0000 or the government mental health hotline on 18111. The Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology provides a WhatsApp hotline in English and Chinese: 6218 1084. See also: HKFP’s comprehensive guide to mental health services in Hong Kong. |
| 💡If you are suffering from sexual or domestic violence, regardless of your age or gender, contact the police, Harmony House (click for details) and/or the Social Welfare Department on 28948896. Dial 999 in emergencies. |
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