Press Release

Correctional officers stop violence and combat illicit activity among remand persons in custody

     Correctional officers stopped a remand person in custody assaulting another remand person in custody in Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre yesterday night (January 15).

     At 9.04pm yesterday, a 23-year-old male remand person in custody suddenly attacked another 24-year-old male remand person in custody in the dormitory. An officer at the scene immediately shouted to stop the assault and called for reinforcements. The reinforcement staff arrived at the scene, separated the involved persons in custody and segregated the assailant for disciplinary action. The victim sustained minor injuries on the face. After receiving treatment from a medical officer of the centre hospital, he did not need to be sent to a public hospital.

     At 11.43pm, some of the remand persons in custody in the dormitory demanded the management to rescind any disciplinary action against the aforementioned assailant. At one time, the gate of the dormitory was tied up with bed sheets to stop correctional officers from entering to discharge their duties. To protect the safety of other remand persons in custody and prevent deterioration of the incident, the institutional management took immediate action and entered the dormitory at 0.11am. Subsequently, a total of six remand persons in custody suspected of being involved in the said illicit activity were removed from association and placed under investigation. The operation was carried out smoothly.

     Following assessment and planning, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) deployed reinforcements this morning to Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, including the Regional Response Team, support teams and the Dog Unit for conducting a search operation. The present atmosphere at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre is stable. The CSD will continue to closely monitor the development.

     In order to assist persons in custody to rehabilitate in a safe and orderly environment, the CSD spares no effort in combatting illicit activities of all kinds in its institutions.

     Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre is a maximum security prison for the detention of male adult persons in custody, including remand and convicted persons in custody.

Ends/Monday, January 16, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:50