Under the new Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, 25 categories of specified professionals are now required to file a report as soon as practicable if, in the course of their work, they have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is suffering serious harm or is at real risk of serious harm.
HONG KONG, 22 January 2026 – Professionals working in the social welfare, education, and healthcare sectors will have a duty to report suspected cases of child abuse came a new law that came into effect in Hong Kong this week, marking a critical new child protection milestone, said Save the Children
Under the new Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, 25 categories of specified professionals are now required to file a report as soon as practicable if, in the course of their work, they have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is suffering serious harm or is at real risk of serious harm.
The law establishes an important safety net for identifying and intervening in child abuse cases, said Save the Children, with failure to comply with the mandatory reporting requirement constituting a criminal offense.
Findings from Save the Children Hong Kong’s recently published report, “Children’s Views on Safety Within Organisations In Hong Kong”, found that half of the children surveyed said they did not have a trustworthy adult in the organisations they engaged with, and nearly one-third felt their opinions were not respected. This indicated a concerning lack of safeguarding culture, which may hinder children from reporting abuse.
While welcoming the new law, Save the Children is calling for a strong safeguarding culture to be developed across Hong Kong to prevent abuse at its root and reinforce the protection that the law provides. In particular, the organisation is calling for the law to be expanded to include all front-line professionals who work with children, including sport coaches and religious leaders.
Kalina Tsang, CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong, said:
“After years of campaigning for the introduction of a law to enshrine mandatory child abuse reporting in Hong Kong, we welcome the implementation of this landmark legislation. However, we caution that legislation alone is not enough to ensure children’s safety.
“A strong safeguarding culture must be developed across society to prevent abuse at its root and reinforce the protection that the law provides.
“We urge the Government of Hong Kong to review the implementation of the law in due course and to actively consider expanding the mandatory reporting obligation to all professionals who work with children, such as front-line staff, private tutors, sports and activity coaches, and religious leaders. This would ensure a more comprehensive safety net for children.
“We also strongly advocate embedding Child Safeguarding courses into relevant tertiary education programmes. This will equip future professionals in education, social welfare and healthcare sectors with child‑centred values and skills from the outset of their careers, fostering a stronger preventative culture across these fields.
“We call on universities and training institutions to learn from successful local and international examples by integrating Child Safeguarding into their professional curricula, together fostering a safer and more caring environment for every child.
“Finally, all child-facing organisations should establish and implement Child Safeguarding Policies, covering behavioural standards, measures in data protection and delivering safe programmes, reporting and handling of safety concerns, as well as monitoring and accountability mechanisms, to ensure children’s safety across all operations.
“Child abuse in any form is one case too many. Save the Children will continue to work together with all sectors of society to create a safe, respectful and caring environment for every child, and advocate for the strong implementation of this important law.”
In 2025, Save the Children Hong Kong’s Child Safeguarding Service delivered tailor-made workshops and policy guidance to 40 non-profit organisations, activity and education centres, and tertiary institutions – reaching nearly 600 participants – about the requirements of the new law, equipping frontline practitioners to comply with confidence.
Established in 2009, Save the Children Hong Kong is part of the global movement which operates in about 100 countries. We work with children, families, communities, and our supporters to deliver lasting change for children in Hong Kong and around the world.
