Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at Hospital Authority

Taura Edgar made this Freedom of Information request to Hospital Authority

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by Hospital Authority.

Dear Hospital Authority,

We request the following information for all Hospital Authority Hospitals in Hong Kong for the time period of January 2010 through December 2021:

(a) Accident and emergency attendance for child sex abuse (“CSA”) victims (NOTE: “child abuse victims” would be defined as children (persons under the age of 18 years) who were diagnosed under The International Classification of Diseases10th Edition codes for Maltreatment syndromes – Sexual abuse, Code T74.2)

(b) Inpatient admission for CSA victims

(c) For (a) and (b) above, the following:
a. Source of referral (brought in by parent/caregiver/guardian, relative, friend or referred by Hong Kong Police Force or Social Welfare Department or other Governmental Bureaux)
b. Sex of CSA victim
c. Age of CSA victim at time of presentation
d. Age of abuse onset
e. Relationship between CSA victim and perpetrator of abuse

(d) The health profile of the CSA victims who attended at a HA Hospital including:
a. Whether admitted
b. Attendance frequency
c. Length of stay
d. Traumatic status

(e) The number of referrals made by the HA to the SWD and/or the Hong Kong Police Force as a result of a patient with a diagnosis of “Maltreatment syndromes – Sexual abuse, Code T74.2”

Regards,
Taura Edgar
https://www.talkhongkong.org/

Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message.
 
(The above is generated by an auto-reply programme)
 
 
 
Hospital Authority ([1]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
謝謝閣下的電子郵件。
 
(以上為電腦自動發出的訊息)
 
 
 
醫院管理局 ([2]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
谢谢阁下的电子邮件。
 
(以上为电脑自动发出的讯息)
 
 
 
医院管理局 ([3]www.ha.org.hk)
 
  ________________________________  

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References

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1. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
2. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
3. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk

Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

Dear Ms Edgar,

 

Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 16 December
2021.

 

As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
departments concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 5 January 2022.

 

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

 

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Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

Dear Ms Edgar,

 

Further to my reply dated 23 December 2021, please find below the Hospital
Authority (HA) Head Office’s response to the items you requested:

 

The HA has not compiled or maintained statistics on child sex abuse
victims. According to paragraph 1.14 of the Code on Access to Information,
the Code does not oblige departments to create a record which does not
exist.

 

There is a Child Protection Registry Statistical Report on the Social
Welfare Department’s website accessible via:  

[1]https://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pub....

Statistics and information provided therein might be of interest to you. 

 

If you have any questions about this reply, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

 

From: [2][Hospital Authority request email] <[3][Hospital Authority request email]>
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2021 6:29 PM
To: '[FOI #909 email]'
<[4][FOI #909 email]>
Subject: Application for Access to Information (Taura Edgar) Freedom of
Information request - Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at Hospital
Authority

 

Dear Ms Edgar,

 

Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 16 December
2021.

 

As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
departments concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 5 January 2022.

 

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

 

show quoted sections

Dear Enquiry (Hospital Authority),

Many thanks for your reply. I refer you to this report "Epidemiology of Child Abuse and Its Geographic Distribution in Hong Kong: An Important Social Indicator of Different Districts and Communities" 2013 http://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/225958 which clearly provides this data from the HA 2001-2010.

Therefore we can see that the data is compiled. Why was it available for the above report but is not available now for 2010-2021?

Regards,
Taura Edgar

Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message.
 
(The above is generated by an auto-reply programme)
 
 
 
Hospital Authority ([1]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
謝謝閣下的電子郵件。
 
(以上為電腦自動發出的訊息)
 
 
 
醫院管理局 ([2]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
谢谢阁下的电子邮件。
 
(以上为电脑自动发出的讯息)
 
 
 
医院管理局 ([3]www.ha.org.hk)
 
  ________________________________  

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
2. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
3. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk

Dear Hospital Authority,

To clarify the data in question that was already provided for 2001-2010 and that we want for more recent period is:
CDARS & AEIS data related to "Maltreatment syndromes – Sexual abuse, Code T74.2"

Regards,

Taura Edgar

Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message.
 
(The above is generated by an auto-reply programme)
 
 
 
Hospital Authority ([1]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
謝謝閣下的電子郵件。
 
(以上為電腦自動發出的訊息)
 
 
 
醫院管理局 ([2]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
谢谢阁下的电子邮件。
 
(以上为电脑自动发出的讯息)
 
 
 
医院管理局 ([3]www.ha.org.hk)
 
  ________________________________  

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
2. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
3. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk

Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

1 Attachment

  • Attachment

    Re Freedom of Information request Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at Hospital Authority.txt

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Dear Ms Edgar,

 

Thank you for your emails dated 3 January 2022 and 11 January 2022
respectively.

 

As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
departments concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 21 January 2022.

 

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

 

show quoted sections

Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

1 Attachment

  • Attachment

    Re Freedom of Information request Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at Hospital Authority.txt

    1K Download View as HTML

Dear Ms Edgar,

 

Further to my reply dated 12 January 2022, please find below the Hospital
Authority (HA) Head Office’s response to your follow-up question:

 

The HA Head Office was not involved in any compilation of data in the
report you mentioned.  The provision of the requested information of the
more recent period would involve retrieval, standardisation, verification
and compilation of raw data. Staff in the departments concerned in the HA
Head Office and hospitals would have to be diverted from their core duties
and other more urgent work, which would affect the execution of the HA’s
proper functions. Hence, the HA is unable to accede to your request for
the reason set out in paragraph 2.9(d) of the Code on Access to
Information which states:

 

“Information which could only be made available by unreasonable diversion
of departments’ resources.” (paragraph 2.9(d))

 

If you believe that the HA has failed to properly apply any provision of
the Code on Access to Information, you may complain to the Ombudsman
(email: [1][email address] or postal address: 30/F, China
Merchants Tower, Shun Tak Centre, 168-200 Connaught Road Central, Hong
Kong).

You may wish to know that for academic research, the HA has in place a
mechanism and standard procedures for handling external data request
applications. [[2]Standard Procedures] and [[3]Personal Information
Collection Statement (PICS)] are applicable to all data request
applications. For details, please visit
[4]http://www3.ha.org.hk/data/Provision/Ind.... In brief, there are two
options under the current mechanism, namely Option A and Option B with
details as follows:

Option A: Expedited Approach

There are five pre-defined datasets on the utilisation of different HA
core services that the requestor can choose from, each with specific data
measures and well-defined classification variables. The output is a set of
aggregate summary count data on specific measures analysed by detailed
classification variables. The turnaround time would be shorter, and the
charge for processing the request ($15,000 or above, depending on the data
selection and specification) would be lower as compared to Option B.

 

Option B: Customised Approach

The customised approach is applicable if the requestor requires
patient-based records or aggregate data other than those covered by Option
A. In the case where the application is accepted by the HA, a charge will
be imposed on the requestor for the provision of data which are customised
according to the research protocol ($60,000 or above, depending on the
complexity of the request), calculated based on the agreed data
requirements and resources required for generating the customised
dataset(s).

 

The requestor (Note) ^ will need to submit the following documents by
email to the Central Panel on Administrative Assessment of External Data
Requests at [5][email address]:

 

·         Project Information Sheet (if opt for Option A) or research
protocol (if opt for Option B);

·         Completed Data Request Application Form (Form A or B) in WORD
format to spell out the data specifications and their relevance to the
requestor’s research; and

·         Documentary proof of research ethics approval (applicable only
to requests for patient-based records).

 

Note: The principal investigator (PI) of the research must be employed by
a local institution, including: (a) universities; (b) Government
bureaux/departments; and (c) non-commercial organisations according to the
list of charitable institutions or trusts of a public character, which are
exempt from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. 

 

If you have any questions about this reply, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

 

From: [6][Hospital Authority request email]
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2022 6:17 PM
To: '[FOI #909 email]'
<[7][FOI #909 email]>
Subject: Application for Access to Information (Taura Edgar) Freedom of
Information request - Historical Statistics of CSA Cases at Hospital
Authority

 

Dear Ms Edgar,

 

Thank you for your emails dated 3 January 2022 and 11 January 2022
respectively.

 

As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
departments concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 21 January 2022.

 

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Sandy Chu(Miss)

Access to Information Officer

Hospital Authority Head Office

(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)

 

show quoted sections

Dear Enquiry (Hospital Authority),

Thank you for your reply. I really do appreciate your time and effort in making it. It's a shame the data is not regularly available though you do hold it. Stake holders such as parents, education, NGOs and government bodies should be using it to plan for efforts to prevent child sexual abuse. Understanding the scope of the issue which effects at least 1 in 10 children in the US and UK (and likely the same here) is an important public health issue.

Regards,
Taura Edgar
https://www.talkhongkong.org/

Enquiry (Hospital Authority), Hospital Authority

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message.
 
(The above is generated by an auto-reply programme)
 
 
 
Hospital Authority ([1]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
謝謝閣下的電子郵件。
 
(以上為電腦自動發出的訊息)
 
 
 
醫院管理局 ([2]www.ha.org.hk)
 
 
=====================================
 
谢谢阁下的电子邮件。
 
(以上为电脑自动发出的讯息)
 
 
 
医院管理局 ([3]www.ha.org.hk)
 
  ________________________________  

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
2. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk
3. file:///tmp/www.ha.org.hk