Catholic Priests in Hong Kong Accused of Child Sexual Abuse

The diocese in Hong Kong admitted it recieved complaints against three priests after claims of sexual abuse were reported in the South China Morning Post. The chancellor of the Roman Catholic Church Rev Lawrence Lee told the Post the alleged abuse took place over the past 11 years.

The Church had previously said they happened over three decades.
Hong Kong police said they would investigate the claims "as soon as possible" and urged other victims of abuse to come forward, French news agency AFP reported.
None of the accusations were reported to the police before the story appeared in the newspaper.

The diocese said two of the first three priests accused of abuse, whom it said were Chinese, had been suspended from their positions.

The third, it said, had "reportedly committed a sexual abuse offence in his home country many years before arriving in Hong Kong", and had been barred from working with children.

"The church's image and reputation will no doubt be affected, but this is a fact we have to face," Reverend Lee told a television programme.

He admitted the diocese had offered the alleged victims financial aid but denied it was to buy their silence.

"We made such an offer in case the victims had financial problems paying for counselling or psychological treatment," said Reverend Lee.

He said none of the families had accepted the offer.

The Church has 300 priests and runs a similar number of schools and kindergartens in the former British colony.