Crime rates in Hong Kong have seen a significant increase in recent years, with multiple cases reported in July alone. According to official data from the Hong Kong government, in 2023, the overall number of criminal cases in Hong Kong exceeded 90,000, a 52.43% increase compared to 2019 before the enforcement of the National Security Law, marking the highest record since the sovereignty handover in 1997. Analysts believe that the deteriorating security situation in Hong Kong reflects a return to poverty.
On the morning of July 6, an incident of violence occurred in the Kang Shan Gardens in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. A 67-year-old man attacked his 65-year-old wife with a hammer, but was stopped by on-site security and reported. The woman suffered multiple head injuries, while the man fled the scene and was later found by law enforcement, during which he attempted to self-harm with a dagger but was stopped. The couple was subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment, and the man was arrested for causing harm.
On July 5, an attempted rape incident took place in Lei King Estate, Kwai Chung. Around 4:10 pm that day, a 26-year-old woman carrying a baby was followed and forcefully entered her home by a man wielding a 10-centimeter long dagger, attempting to rape her. Fortunately, the woman managed to call her family, who arrived in time and alerted the police. A scuffle ensued, and the suspect was later apprehended by the police. The woman’s family member sustained injuries during the struggle and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
On July 3, a child abduction case occurred in Sai Kung District, New Territories. In broad daylight, a 3-year-old boy was abducted at the crowded Tseung Kwan O Plaza. The boy was playing at the supermarket playground on the second floor with his sister when a woman forcibly took him away. The boy’s mother received a ransom note in simplified Chinese characters demanding a ransom of 660,000 Tether coins (a type of cryptocurrency, equivalent to around 5 million Hong Kong dollars) and instructing the victim not to report to the police. Thirteen hours after the abduction, the police rescued the boy and arrested two women.
Several serious cases also occurred last month. Among them, the three most significant cases included a fatal assault at North District Hospital in Sheung Shui on June 8, where a 23-year-old man surnamed Wong was found dead on the street with bruises and facial swelling, treated as a “murder case” by the police; on June 21 in Fanling, a fatal assault occurred at Wah Sum Estate’s Min Lau House, where a 59-year-old man and his girlfriend engaged in a dispute over searching for identification and personal belongings, leading to the man allegedly punching the girlfriend repeatedly, causing fatal head injuries; and on June 28 in Tsuen Wan, a street robbery took place outside Lai Sun Plaza, where a 30-year-old man was assaulted and robbed by four men, losing valuables including watches, cash, and a phone worth about 800,000 Hong Kong dollars.
In May of this year, a notable knife attack incident occurred. On May 22, a violent incident took place at Amoy Plaza in Sha Tin. A mentally unstable man armed with a knife entered a store and injured a female cashier. Several citizens assisted in subduing the perpetrator, who was eventually apprehended and handed over to the police.
Moreover, on February 28, two violent robbery incidents involving large sums of money occurred within a day: a watch store in Causeway Bay was robbed by three masked robbers armed with weapons, stealing 25 watches valued at 6.12 million Hong Kong dollars; and in Sheung Shui, a man was attacked by two men after exchanging money, resulting in the robbery of a bag containing 3.6 million Hong Kong dollars in cash and a phone worth 3,000 Hong Kong dollars.
As of May this year, the overall crime rate in Hong Kong has risen by 3% compared to the same period last year. On June 21, at the Anti-Crime Committee meeting, the Secretary for Security in Hong Kong announced that a total of 36,940 criminal cases were recorded in the first five months of this year, an increase of 1,077 cases from the same period last year. The rise is primarily attributed to an increase in burglary, extortion, and theft cases, with violent crimes reaching 4,237 cases, an increase of 365 cases from the same period last year, marking a 9.4% increase.
In fact, following the normalization of society post-epidemic in 2023, traditional crime rates in Hong Kong have increased compared to 2022. According to the Hong Kong government’s 2023 report on overall security issued on February 6, the total number of criminal cases in 2023 was 90,276, an increase of over 20,000 cases from 70,048 cases in 2022, marking a 28.9% rise. Compared to 2019 during the peak of the anti-extradition movement with 59,225 cases, the overall number of criminal cases in 2023 surged by 31,051 cases, representing a 52.43% increase.
One of the most notorious cases in 2023 was the brutal murder of Hong Kong woman, Choi Tin Fung, who was dismembered and cooked into “human flesh soup”. The shocking brutality of the crime captured the headlines internationally.
The 28-year-old victim, Choi Tin Fung, was the daughter-in-law of the founder of the Hong Kong restaurant chain Tam’s Yunnan Mixian, Tam Chek Kwan. On February 24, 2023, Choi Tin Fung was found murdered and dismembered in Lo Wa Village, Tai Po, with her body parts cooked and some found in the freezer, while the remaining remains were disposed of as soup residue. Shockingly, the perpetrator turned out to be her ex-husband, Kwong Kong Chi, and his family.
In the efforts to locate Choi Tin Fung’s body and limbs, the police searched through thousands of tons of garbage and even dispatched a “scuba diving team” to search underwater, but her remains were not entirely recovered.
The motive behind the dismemberment and cooking of the victim’s body by the suspect was believed to be an attempt to destroy evidence. Subsequently, Choi Tin Fung’s ex-husband, his parents and brother, as well as accomplices Lam Shun and Pun Kiu Yin, were arrested in connection with the case. The police concluded that there was a significant financial dispute between the victim and her ex-husband’s family, suspecting that someone was discontent with the victim’s handling of property and resorted to murderous intentions. However, many unresolved questions and doubts surround the case to date.
Following the incident, many Hong Kong residents sarcastically referred to Hong Kong as the “International Knives Association” – a play on words reflecting the surge in knife-related crimes, gang-related incidents, and other violent offenses in recent years.
It is noteworthy that the overall number of criminal cases in Hong Kong in 2023 marked the highest figure since the sovereignty handover in 1997. Despite the impact of the Asian financial crisis on Hong Kong during that period, the total number of criminal cases in 1998 increased but remained relatively low. According to the statistics monthly released by the Hong Kong government in 1998, the total cases in 1997 were 67,367, rising to 71,962 in 1998, the second-lowest record in ten years, with 1997 registering the lowest figure in a decade.
Veteran Hong Kong media figure and current affairs commentator, Cheng Cheung, noted that despite the massive protests involving millions of people during the 2019 anti-extradition movement, the crime rates were significantly lower compared to the present situation.
Cheng Cheung pointed out that during the protests, the society was moving towards improving social progress, advocating for political democracy and freedom. “Therefore, under such an atmosphere, criminal activities were relatively reduced. However, with the entire law enforcement focusing on suppressing legitimate activities, it is challenging to avoid an increase in criminal incidents. There is a certain cause-and-effect relationship at play.”
Former Director of the Public Opinion Programme at the University of Hong Kong, Alex Chung, expressed to Dajiyuan that the surge in violent crimes and robberies in Hong Kong in recent years is attributed to the burgeoning influence of triad societies.
“In the past two years, there have been more cases of triads using violent methods to harm people; additionally, in recent years, Hong Kong society has relied on triad societies and some rural factions to suppress democratic and grassroots political forces, enabling the triad societies and rural factions to flourish, making them bolder,” he said.
Data from the Hong Kong Police Force reveals that despite the rise in crime rates, the clearance rates in Hong Kong have been decreasing year by year, with clearance rates of 38.5%, 35.2%, and 31.1% in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively.
Renowned Hong Kong commentator based in the UK, To Kit, indicated in his YouTube program “Valley of the Wind and Clouds” that the increase in crime figures in Hong Kong highlights the city’s regression to the period of poorer social security seen in the 1960s and 1970s, following the economic boom from Mainland China that lasted for 20 years. To Kit believes that Hong Kong is spiraling back into poverty, with the deteriorating security situation as a clear indicator of such regression.
Alex Chung added that when social trust dissipates, it becomes easier for conflicts to escalate into violence. When individuals no longer believe that disputes can be resolved through legal channels, the chances of severe violent crimes increase. “If this becomes a trend, the worrying aspect is that in the past, during a time of economic prosperity and abundant hot money, many triad societies engaged in legitimate activities or grey economy such as in the catering industry, speculative trading, or smuggling. However, when the economy declines overall, these opportunities diminish, and they may return to underground economy and even gang activities,” he remarked.