Key facts
- Chung Pui-kei, 38, was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
- He was found guilty of five counts of rape.
- The victim was a 23-year-old resident at the Hong Chi Pinehill Integrated Vocational Training Centre Kwong Fuk Hostel.
- The assaults occurred between July 13 and August 9, 2024.
- The judge described the assaults as "extremely despicable" and "contemptible, disgusting and shocking."
A Hong Kong court has sentenced Chung Pui-kei, a 38-year-old former assistant warden at a care home for intellectually disabled individuals, to 13 years in prison for raping a 23-year-old resident five times. High Court Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong condemned the assaults as "extremely despicable," "contemptible, disgusting and shocking," and a betrayal of trust.
The offences occurred between July 13 and August 9, 2024, at the Hong Chi Pinehill Integrated Vocational Training Centre Kwong Fuk Hostel in Tai Po. The victim, identified only as X, has a mild intellectual disability, with her cognitive functioning assessed as equivalent to that of a nine-year-old child. Prosecutors stated that Chung exploited the resident's trust, with whom he had developed a friendly rapport.
During the trial, the Crown presented evidence including two bottles of lubricant, a box of condoms, and a genital spray found in Chung's locker. Forensic tests confirmed his semen and the victim's DNA on her bedsheet. CCTV footage showed Chung taking the victim into a staff room four times and her own room once. The victim testified that she was frightened and told him she was uncomfortable during the assaults, during which he sometimes used a condom and sometimes did not.
Chung testified in his defense, claiming he had merely sat on her bed and sweated heavily due to the air conditioning, denying undressing or ejaculating in the room. Judge Yau dismissed this account as "utterly absurd."
The Hong Chi Association, which operates the hostel, fired Chung following the incident and initiated an independent review of its protective measures.