Hong Kong equality watchdog urges sports sector leaders to comply with sexual harassment study

Survey follows a host of allegations in local sport after hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu revealed she had been abused by her former coach

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Hong Kong hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu. Photo: Facebook

Published: 10:07pm, 1 Dec 2017Updated: 10:38am, 2 Dec 2017

Hong Kong’s equality watchdog on Friday urged sports leaders to cooperate with a new sexual abuse survey it will conduct, and take it more seriously than a similar probe in 2015, after hurdling champion Vera Lui Lai-yiu revealed she had been sexually victimised by her coach.

An Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) spokesman criticised the sector for not taking a previous study seriously, even as more sexual abuse victims came forward to call hotlines to talk about how they were assaulted.

They were spurred into action by Lui, the highest-profile local figure to join the global “Me Too” movement that has received widespread support following a series of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Concern groups warned on Friday that the reports of sexual harassment and abuse were merely the “tip of the iceberg”, with many victims fearful of recounting their trauma if they reported the case to the police.

Hong Kong hurdler Vera Lui’s claim that a coach sexually assaulted her when she was 13 sparks outcry, police probe

Lui published a post on her Facebook page describing how her coach sexually assaulted her 10 years ago, along with a photo of her holding a card on which “#MeToo” was written, with her initials “LLY” below, shortly after she turned 23 years old on Thursday at midnight. But she declined to talk to the police.