ISE08/20-21
主题: | 福利事务、虐待儿童、强制通报、保护儿童 |
香港打击虐儿的政策发展
澳洲的强制通报怀疑虐儿个案制度
(a) | 选定专业人士的通报责任:概括而言,最少4类与儿童有较直接接触的澳洲专业人士被指定为"强制通报者",包括(i)教师;(ii)警员;(iii)医生;及(iv)护士。在某些省地,通报者亦包括社工,而北领地甚至将强制通报责任扩及全体民众;
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(b) | 强制通报适用的虐待范畴:澳洲各省地均将"身体虐待"及"性虐待"列为必须通报事项,另有5个省份亦将"情绪虐待及忽略"列入其中。通报者如"有合理理由"相信已知及怀疑虐待个案会对儿童造成"重大伤害",便须作出通报;
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(c) | 通报者的法律保障:为了保护通报者,澳洲会将其身份保密。此外,通报者如出于善意作出通报,可免受任何民事及刑事法律检控,亦可在工作岗位免受不利后果的影响。类似保障亦适用于自愿通报者;
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(d) | 不作通报的罚则:除了新南威尔斯外,澳洲各地的专业人士如未有履行通报责任,可被处以罚款,最高罚款介乎维多利亚的1,410澳元(7,860港元),至北领地的26,000澳元(145,080港元)。26注释符号代表新南威尔斯过往的最高罚款为22,000澳元(122,760港元),但其后在2008年因应儿童保护服务特别调查委员会的建议而撤销。请参阅Mathews, B. (2014)。 在澳洲首都领地,违例者同时更可被监禁最多6个月。整体而言,以上罚则普遍能有效鼓励作出通报;
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(e) | 通报渠道:各省政府辖下的所有保护儿童部门均设有24小时虐儿通报专线。通报者须向保护儿童主任提供怀疑个案的细节(例如描述虐待情况、受害人的家庭历史及有关儿童面对的风险);
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(f) | 跟进行动:保护儿童主任会按通报资讯,调查达至危害儿童风险门槛的个案。当局会就属实个案,提供范围广泛的家庭支援服务。如受虐儿童在现有家庭环境被认为不安全,保护儿童部门或会采取最后手段,进一步作出干预。2019年,当局基于安全考虑,就虐儿属实个案中涉及的四分之一儿童,发出照顾及保护令,并提供家居以外的照顾服务;及
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(g) | 为受虐儿童提供法律支援:对于涉及严重身体及性虐待的法律案件,澳洲各地家事法庭在2003年7月推出特快计划,将审讯时间加快至6个月內完成。当地会安排同一法官负责整个审讯程序,受害人可获委派独立律师代表,而法律援助费用则不设上限。27注释符号代表Family Court of Australia (2016)。 |
结语
立法会秘书处
资讯服务部
资料研究组
林升阳
2020年12月1日
香港
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1. | Child Fatality Review Panel. (2019) Child Fatality Review Panel Fourth Report (for child death cases in Hong Kong in 2014 and 2015).
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2. | GovHK. (2018) LCQ11: Child abuse cases.
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3. | Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong. (2019) Consultation Paper: Causing or Allowing the Death or Serious Harm of a Child or Vulnerable Adult.
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4. | Legislative Council. (2018) Panel on Welfare Services: Minutes of special meeting held on Friday, 19 January 2018, at 9:30 am in Conference Room 2 of the Legislative Council Complex.
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5. | Legislative Council. (2019) Panel on Welfare Services: Minutes of meeting held on Monday, 9 December 2019, at 10:45 am in Conference Room 3 of the Legislative Council Complex.
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6. | Legislative Council. (2020) President's ruling on the Protection of Children Legislation (Amendments) Bill 2020 intended to be presented by Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG.
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7. | Leung, P.W.S. et al. (2010) Attitudes and child abuse reporting behaviours among Hong Kong GPs.
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8. | Office of the Ombudsman. (2019) Direct Investigation Report: Mechanism for Identifying and Reporting Suspected Child Abuse Cases.
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9. | Social Welfare Department. (2020a) Child Protection Registry Statistical Report 2019.
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10. | Social Welfare Department. (2020b) Protecting Children from Maltreatment - Procedural Guide for Multi-disciplinary Co-operation.
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11. | University of Hong Kong. (2005) Study on Child Abuse and Spouse Battering: Report on findings of Household Survey.
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12. | 《立法会儿童权利小组委员会:保护儿童法例的改革-香港儿科基金立场书》,《香港儿科基金》,2018年4月4日。
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13. | 《回应立法会福利事务委员会临时特别会议 【从虐儿案看儿童保护政策和程序】》,《防止虐待儿童会》,2018年1月15日。
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14. | 《每日3宗虐儿 回归后新高 施虐者六成是亲生父母 团体指官方低估》,《苹果日报》,2019年2月24日。
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15. | 《防止虐待儿童会上年度接198宗怀疑虐儿个案 逾六成怀疑施虐者为家人》,《明报》,2017年11月16日。
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16. | 《【虐儿系列之四】雷张慎佳批政府讲一套做一套 「无方向、无方法、无政策、无对策」》,《众新闻》,2018年2月9日。
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17. | 李明生(2018年9月8日):应对虐儿 预防胜于治疗,《香港商报》。
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18. | 陈仲谋(2019年7月9日):虐儿趋升反映病态社会,《信报财经新闻》。
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19. | 蔡苏淑贤(2018年1月15日):虐儿事件:预防比识别更重要,《明报》。
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澳洲
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20. | Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2020) Australian Demographic Statistics, Jun 2019.
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21. | Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2017) Corporal punishment: Key issues.
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22. | Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2020) Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect.
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23. | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2000) Child protection Australia 1998-99.
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24. | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020) Child protection Australia 2018-19.
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25. | Council of Australian Governments. (2009) Protecting Children is Everyone's Business: National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020.
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26. | Department of Social Services. (2018) Fourth Action Plan 2018-2020: Supporting families, communities and organisations to keep children safe.
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27. | Family Court of Australia. (2016) Child abuse allegations.
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28. | Federal Register of Legislation. (2016) Family Law Act 1975.
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29. | Higgins, D. J. (2007) Cooperation and coordination: An evaluation of the Family Court of Australia's Magellan case-management model.
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30. | Mathews, B. (2014) Mandatory reporting laws for child sexual abuse in Australia: A legislative history.
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31. | Mathews, B. and Bross, D.C. (2007) Mandated reporting is still a policy with reason: Empirical evidence and philosophical grounds.
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32. | Mathews, B. et al. (2015) Child Abuse And Neglect: A Socio-legal Study of Mandatory Reporting in Australia.
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33. | New South Wales Government. (2018) New legislation to strengthen child sexual abuse laws.
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34. | Productivity Commission. (2020) Report on Government Services 2020 – SECTION 16: Child protection services.
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35. | Queensland Government. (2019) Criminal Code and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2019.
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其他
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36. | International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. (2018) World Perspectives on Child Abuse 2018.
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37. | Petherick, W. (2019) False Reports in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases.
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38. | Trocme, N. and Bala, N. (2005) False allegations of abuse and neglect when parents separate.
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39. | World Health Organization. (2006) Preventing child maltreatment: a guide to taking action and generating evidence.
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