HKLII

Hong Kong Law Reform Commission

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Annex 6


Extracts from the Crimes Ordinance (Cap 200)



123. Intercourse with girl under 13

A man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.


124. Intercourse with girl under 16

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 5 years.

(2) Where a marriage is invalid under section 27(2) of the Marriage Ordinance (Cap. 181) by reason of the wife being under the age of 16, the invalidity shall not make the husband guilty of an offence under this section because he has sexual intercourse with her, if he believes her to be his wife and has reasonable cause for the belief.


130. Control over persons for purpose of unlawful sexual intercourse or prostitution

(1) A person who -

(a) harbours another person or exercises control or direction over another person with the intention that that person shall do unlawful sexual acts with others; or
(b) harbours another person or exercises control, direction or influence over another person for the purpose of or with a view to that person's prostitution,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 14 years.

(2) A person shall not be convicted of an offence under this section on the evidence of one witness only, unless the witness is corroborated in some material particular by evidence implicating the accused.




131. Causing prostitution

(1) A person who –

(a) procures another person to become, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, a prostitute; or
(b) procures another person to leave Hong Kong, intending that other person to become, elsewhere, an inmate of or frequent any premises, vessel or place kept as a vice establishment; or
(c) procures another person to leave her or his usual place of abode in Hong Kong, intending that other person to become an inmate of or frequent any premises, vessel or place kept as a vice establishment, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, for the purpose of prostitution,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years.

(2) A person shall not be convicted of an offence under this section on the evidence of one witness only, unless the witness is corroborated in some material particular by evidence implicating the accused.


134. Detention for Intercourse or In vice establishment

(1) A person who in any manner or by any means detains another person against her or his will -

(a) with the intention that the other person shall do an unlawful sexual act; or
(b) on any premises or vessel, or in any place, kept as a vice establishment,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 14 years.

(2) Where a person is on any premises or vessel for the purpose of doing an unlawful sexual act or is on any premises or vessel, or in any place, kept as a vice establishment, another person shall be deemed for the purposes of subsection (1) to detain that person there if, with the intention of compelling or inducing that person to remain there, the other person -

(a) withholds from that person any of that person's clothes or other property; or
(b) threatens that person with legal proceedings in the event of that person taking away clothes provided for that person by the other person or on the other person's directions.

(3) A person shall not be liable to any legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal, for taking away or being found in possession of any clothes she or he needed to enable her or him to leave premises or a vessel on which she or he was being detained for the purpose of doing an unlawful sexual act or to leave any premises, vessel or place kept as a vice establishment.


135. Causing or encouraging prostitution of, intercourse with, or indecent assault on, girl or boy under 16

(1) A person who causes or encourages the prostitution of or an unlawful sexual act with a girl or boy under the age of 16 for whom that person is responsible shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years.

(2) Where a girl or boy is a prostitute or has done an unlawful sexual act, a person shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to have caused or encouraged the same if that person knowingly allowed the girl or boy to consort with, or to enter or continue in the employment of, any prostitute or person of known immoral character.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), the persons who for the purposes of this section are to be treated as responsible for a girl or boy are -

(a) any person who is her or his parent or legal guardian;
(b) any person who has actual possession or control of her or him, or to whose charge she or he has been committed by her or his parent or legal guardian or by a person having the custody of her or him; and
(c) any other person who has the custody, charge or care of her or him.

(4) In subsection (3), "parent" (父母) does not include, in relation to any girl or boy, a person deprived of her or his custody by order of a court of competent jurisdiction but, subject to that, in the case of a girl or boy who has been adopted under the Adoption Ordinance (Cap. 290) means her or his adopters and in the case of a girl or boy who is illegitimate, and has not been so adopted, means her or his mother and any person who has been adjudged to be her or his putative father.





137. Living on earnings of prostitution of others

(1) A person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of prostitution of another shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a person who lives with or is habitually in the company of a prostitute, or who exercises control, direction or influence over another person's movements in a way which shows he or she is aiding, abetting or compelling that other person's prostitution with others, shall be presumed to be knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution, unless he or she proves the contrary.


139. Keeping a vice establishment

(1) A person who on any occasion -

(a) keeps any premises, vessel or place as a vice establishment; or
(b) manages or assists in the management, or is otherwise in charge or control, of any premises, vessel or place kept as a vice establishment

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable -

(i) on summary conviction to imprisonment for 3 years; or
(ii) on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years.

(2) Where –

(a) a charge under this section is preferred against a person or is withdrawn; or
(b) a person is acquitted or convicted of, or successfully appeals against a conviction for, an offence under this section,

section 145A applies.


Use of premises, etc. for illicit sexual purposes


140. Permitting girl or boy under 13 to resort to or be on premises or vessel for intercourse

An owner or occupier of any premises or vessel, and any person who manages or assists in the management or control of any premises or vessel, who induces or knowingly suffers a girl or boy under the age of 13 to resort to or be on such premises or vessel for the purpose of doing an unlawful sexual act or for the purpose of prostitution shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.


141. Permitting young person to resort to or be on premises or vessel for intercourse, prostitution, buggery or homosexual act

An owner or occupier of any premises or vessel, and any person who manages or assists in the management or control of any premises or vessel, who induces or knowingly suffers -

(a) a girl under the age of 16 to resort to or be on such premises or vessel for the purpose or having unlawful sexual intercourse with a man or for the purpose of prostitution;
(b) a girl or boy under the age or 21 to resort to or be on such premises or vessel for the purpose or committing buggery with a man; or
(c) a boy under the age of 21 to resort to or be on such premises or vessel for the purpose of committing an act of gross indecency with a man,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 14 years.


143. Letting premises for use as a vice establishment

(1) A person who, being tile owner or tenant of any premises or his
agent -

(a) lets the whole or part or the premises with the knowledge that it is to be kept, in whole or in part, as a vice establishment; or
(b) where the whole or part of the premises is used as a vice establishment, is wilfully a party to that use continuing,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 7 years.

(2) Where -

(a) a charge under this section is preferred against a person or is withdrawn; or
(b) a person is acquitted or convicted of, or successfully appeals against a conviction for, an offence under this section.

section 145A applies.


144. Tenant etc. permitting premises or vessel
to be kept as a vice establishment

(1) A person who -

(a) being the tenant or occupier, or person in charge, of any premises permits or suffers the whole or part of the premises to be kept as a vice establishment; or
(b) being the owner, or the master or other person in charge, of any vessel permits or suffers the whole or part of the vessel to be kept as a vice establishment,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 7 years.

(2) Where -

(a) a charge under this section is preferred against a person or is withdrawn; or
(b) a person is acquitted or convicted of, or successfully appeals against a conviction for, an offence under this section,

section 145A applies.


145. Tenant etc. permitting premises or vessel to he used for prostitution

(1) A person who -

(a) being the tenant or occupier, or person in charge, of any premises permits or suffers the whole or part of the premises to be used for the purposes of habitual prostitution; or
(b) being the owner, or the master or other person in charge, of any vessel permits or suffers the whole or part of the vessel to be used for the purpose of habitual prostitution,

shall be guilty or an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 7 years.
(2) Where -

(a) a charge under this section is preferred against a person or is withdrawn; or
(b) a person is acquitted or convicted of, or successfully appeals against a conviction for, an offence under this section,

section 145A applies.


Miscellaneous offences and provisions



146. Indecent conduct towards child under 16

(1) Subject to subsection (3), a person who commits an act of gross indecency with or towards a child under the age of 16, or who incites a child under the age of 16 to commit such an act with or towards him or her or another, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years.

(2) It shall not be a defence to a charge under this section to prove that the child consented to the act of gross indecency.

(3) A person who commits an act of gross indecency with or towards a child or who incites a child to commit such an act with or towards him or her is not guilty of an offence under this section if that person is, or believes on reasonable grounds that he or she is, married to the child.