A former beauty pageant queen has added her voice to the number of women who have spoken out about their experience of being sexually harassed amid the #metoo movement.
Louisa Mak, who was crowned Miss Hong Kong in 2015, posted on Facebook yesterday: “I believe a lot of girls have been subjected to sexual assault, I am no exception and it has happened to me more than once.”
Although she did not specify exactly what happened to her, she told Apple Daily that the incident happened when she was 17 or 18 when she was sent as part of the delegation to the mainland. She added that the city’s courts could not intervene at the time because they have no jurisdiction over what happens in the mainland.
Despite this, Mak, a Cambridge University law graduate, said: “I believe the law is the fairest method of adjudication. There is no perfect system for perpetrators, but there are more procedural safeguards in place compared to the internet, and the court system gives everyone the opportunity to be heard.”
Mak used the opportunity to encourage other victims to do more to protect themselves in the event that they decide to take a sexual assault claim to the court, such as saving text messages.
She also encouraged others to take preventative measures such, adding that she decided to learn Jujitsu a few months ago in order to protect herself.
Mak won the Miss Hong Kong pageant when she was 23, where she was described as a combination of beauty and brains, a straight-A student who at one time said she wanted to become Hong Kong’s chief executive.
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After winning Miss Hong Kong, she embarked on an acting career where her credits include L for Love, L for Lies too, and the Hong Kong dubbed version of The Emoji Movie. Last year, she represented Hong Kong in the Miss Chinese International Pageant.
Mak’s post comes one week after Hong Kong’s queen of hurdles, Lui Lai-yiu, posted on Facebook that was was sexually assaulted by a former coach when she was at school.
Over the weekend, more than 70 Hong Kong athletes signed a joint statement urging authorities to do more to ensure the safety of athletes and protect them from sexual assault, Stand News reported.
The statement demanded thorough investigations into suspected sexual assault, and clear guidelines for coaches and staff such as “avoiding unnecessary physical contact between athletes and coaches.”
Signatories include Lui, cyclist Lee Wai Sze, who won a bronze in the 2012 Olympics, and Yu Chui Yee, who has won gold, silver and bronze for wheelchair fencing.
The #metoo movement has seen countless women share their experiences of sexual harassment and assault online along with the hashtag.
It began in the wake of a recent New York Times exposé in October detailing dozens of sexual harassment and assault complaints made against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who used his power to bully aspiring actresses into sexual favors.
In the weeks since, numerous high-profile cases have emerged, with accusations ranging from groping to rape leveled against prominent men.
