5 months, 3 weeks jail for senior police officer who molested colleague at force HQ

A senior police superintendent has received a prison sentence of five months and three weeks after being found guilty of indecently assaulting a female subordinate on three occasions in 2024, including at a work party. Senior Superintendent of Police Ian Chow received his sentence at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Friday. His legal team announced his intention to appeal, and Chow was released on bail in the interim. West Kowloon Law Courts Building. File photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP. Chow was found guilty of indecent assault earlier this month after a trial, in which he denied the allegations and said he and the victim, known only as X, were in a secret relationship. The court heard that the indecent assaults took place at the police force’s headquarters in Wan Chai. 💡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. Handing down the sentence on Friday, magistrate Vivian Ho said she had received mitigation letters from 22 people, local media reported. They included his family members, girlfriend, colleagues, and a district councillor. They described Chow as filial and always willing to help, Ho said. His girlfriend was also at the sentencing. Ho said the letters reflected Chow’s contribution to society. But she said Chow had disrespected the victim’s personal space and disregarded the fact that the police headquarters is a professional working environment. Chow’s acts had also had a major effect on the victim’s mental health, causing her to have nightmares and avoid members of the opposite sex, Ho added. Chow, aged 51, has already been suspended from work, the police force told local media earlier. He graduated from the police academy in 2003, according to an edition of the police force’s magazine Offbeat. Testimonies The court heard that in the first incident of indecent assault, which took place in June 2024, Chow patted the victim’s buttocks. The second and third incidents were at a farewell party for a colleague in November that year. Chow was said to have put his hand on X’s waist, groped her buttock, and put her hand on his pants – over his genitals – while telling her he was having an erection. The Hong Kong Police Force headquarters in Wan Chai. Photo: Candice Chau/HKFP. During the trial, Chow said he was having an affair with X, and that X had asked him to break up with his girlfriend. He said he felt that X was interested in him, and had once told him that he was “very fit” due to his exercise habits. Chow admitted to touching X’s waist, but said this was “very normal,” emphasising his view that they were in a relationship. X, who testified at the trial, denied that she and Chow were together. She also rejected the defence’s statement that she and Chow had held hands in the office. When handing down the verdict, Ho said Chow’s statements were “incredible and illogical,” while ruling that X and the eyewitnesses’ testimonies were credible. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong. More by Hillary Leung