The University of Hong Kong has launched an investigation into an apparent sexual assault alleged to have taken place on its campus.
At 9pm yesterday, HKU sent Coconuts Hong Kong a statement to say one of its residential halls would conduct a “thorough investigation” into a “hall incident”, and said the university would offer “full support and assistance to students” distressed by the incident.
“The University condemns abusive or bullying acts, and protects all those affected by bullying including cyber bullying. The current investigation is not yet concluded, and appropriate disciplinary procedures will be invoked whenever we consider it justified.”
The incident in question was captured on a now-viral video, which was posted to social media at around noon yesterday. It showed a young man being pinned down by two other men, while a fourth man — wearing an HKU jumper — repeatedly placed his genitals on his face. Netizens speculated on social media that the assault had taken place at the university’s Simon K.Y. Lee Hall on Pok Fu Lam Road.
After the clip was shared by local language news outlets, a post was published on the anonymous Facebook page “HKU Secrets“, slamming the university’s “hall culture” and those who had shrugged the video off as “hall tradition” as participating in “typical victim blaming”.
“The majority of freshmen get bullied by [older] students when they first move in […] There’s a hierarchy between [HKU] hallmates, in a way that’s very different to other universities’ residences. […] A lot of [HKU students] say ‘Oh, this is just what makes HKU halls special’, but everyone else is laughing behind our backs, and saying we’re sick. […]”
“Do you really think that, if [HKU halls] didn’t have this hierarchy […] and bullying culture, [those guys] would have the guts to go into someone’s room to pull this kind of stunt?”
Recently, HKU was hit by separate hall scandal after 20 students at St. John’s College were accused of entering the dormitory of a male student — a candidate in an upcoming hall committee election — and pouring wax on his penis. Student publication The Pokfulam Herald reports that the incident took place on March 20, and that the candidate later withdrew from the election. According to HKFP, a Facebook post accusing 20 students of the same act — which has since been deleted — claimed the candidate was campaigning to “reform” the hall.
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