Conviction check for sex offences not mandatory; sector says safeguarding relies on Nursing Council

The "Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme" launched by the government in 2011 is not mandatory. Employers hiring people for work involving children or persons who are mentally incapacitated may require applicants to apply for a check. A nurse who committed rape was employed by a residential care home after his release from prison, and the Nursing Council only "struck off" his registration more than one year after his release. Lee Pak-ying, chairman of the Hong Kong Association for the Rights of the Elderly and the Disabled, said residential care homes trust the certificates of good standing issued by the Nursing Council when hiring, and believes the Council bears greater responsibility in this incident.