香港特別行政區 訴 H.K.C
The Court upheld the trial judge's factual findings that the applicant's confessions were voluntary and admissible, that the child complainant's evidence was credible, that there was no reasonable basis for a genuine belief the complainant was 16, and that the 5-year sentence was not excessive; accordingly the late...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2019] HKCA 841
- Parties
- Respondent: 香港特別行政區; Applicant: H.K.C
- Court
- Court of Appeal
- Jurisdiction
- Hong Kong
- Judgment Date
- 26 July 2019
- Case Number
- CACC14/2019
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal Late Application for Leave to Appeal Against Conviction and Sentence / Court of Appeal Decision on Leave Application
- Outcome
- Application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence refused.
- Legal Topics
- Voluntariness of Confession, Credibility of Child Complainant, Mistake of Age Defence, Abuse of Position of Trust, Proportionality of Sentence
- Source Language
- ch
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
香港特別行政區
Respondent
H.K.C
Applicant
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal Late Application for Leave to Appeal Against Conviction and Sentence / Court of Appeal Decision on Leave Application
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the applicant's confessions were voluntary and admissible
- 2 Whether the child complainant's evidence was credible and could support conviction
- 3 Whether the applicant held an honest and reasonable belief that the complainant was 16 or over
Ratio Decidendi
The Court upheld the trial judge's factual findings that the applicant's confessions were voluntary and admissible, that the child complainant's evidence was credible, that there was no reasonable basis for a genuine belief the complainant was 16, and that the 5-year sentence was not excessive; accordingly the late applications for leave to appeal conviction and sentence were refused.
Court Disposition
Application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence refused.
Orders
- Leave to appeal against conviction refused.
- Leave to appeal against sentence refused.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
CACC 14/2019 [2019] HKCA 841 香港特別行政區 高等法院上訴法庭 刑事司法管轄權 定罪及判刑逾期上訴許可申請 刑事上訴案件2019年第14號 (原區域法院刑事案件2017年第1106號) 答辯人 香港特別行政區 對 申請人 H.K.C 主審法官: 高等法院署理首席法官楊振權 聆訊日期: 2019年7月26日 判案書日期: 2019年7月26日 判案書 本案的裁決完全建基在原審法官就事實作出的決定。原審法官有小心及詳細分析控辯雙方證人的證供。本席亦有考慮過案件的背景及原審法官作出的事實裁決。 本席認為原審法官有足夠基礎否定申請人的答辯理由,包括其不在場證據及採納受害女童對申請人作出的指控。原審法官知悉受害女童證供的弱點,亦有恰當地處理有關議題。本席同意原審法官的裁決,指涉案女童沒有動機或能力說謊誣告申請人。 本席不能忽視申請人被拘捕後及在警誡下作出的明確招認。該些招認直接及全面地支持控方針對申請人的指控。 辯方指申請人作出招認是因為他曾受涉案女童的繼父(其母的男朋友)和他的朋友長時間的威逼及恐嚇,故他的招認並非自願作出。但申請人的招認是先後向兩名不同探員作出的,而申請人作出招認前曾受探員的警誡。申請人有就事件向該些警員作出明確的交代,而他為了減輕他的罪責,更有向警員說他並沒有和女童性交,只是用手指插她的下體,而女童是因為用手遮著眼睛,故未能見到他的上述動作。 以案件的背景而言,原審法官有足夠基礎認定申請人的招認是自願向警方作出的。原審法官的裁決是正確的。 原審法官裁定申請人的招認是他在精神狀態正常下作出的,而該些招認亦是申請人自願作出的,故該些招認可以呈堂為證。本席認同原審法官的裁定。 辯方指申請人真誠相信女童已滿16歲的說法沒有足夠基礎支持,更不足為信。申請人是涉案中學的全職資訊科技助理,而受害女童在案發時只是一名中一至中二的學生。 申請人不可能真誠相信在案發時受害女童已滿16歲。 申請人被裁定罪名成立的決定是穩妥的,而他提出的上訴理由亦是沒有合理可爭拗之處。因此,本席不批准申請人就定罪提出逾期上訴許可申請。 本案是一宗極為嚴重的性侵犯一名不足14歲女童的案件。申請人是學校的助理教導員,對在學校就讀的受害女童具誠信責任。他破壞誠信,並且長時間及多次及以極為惡劣的手法性侵犯受害人,而為了達到目的,他更有以卑劣的手法威嚇受害女童,令她就範。 申請人被判處的5年刑期合理。代表申請人的蔡大律師指該刑期明顯過重的立場是沒有合理可爭拗之處。因此,本席亦不批准申請人就判刑提出逾期上訴許可申請。 (楊振權) 高等法院署理首席法官 答辯人: 由律政司署理助理刑事檢控專員余國慧代表。 申請人: 由廖廣志律師事務所轉聘大律師蔡兆昇及大律師李穎琦代表。