香港修改陈旧性罪行法律的迟到举措正在进行中。在就拟议修改进行为期一个月的公众咨询后，一项广泛的全面改革可能于今年公布，并在明年现届立法会任期结束前通过。其旨在使法律与社会变化保持一致，并确保性侵犯幸存者（包括儿童和其他弱势群体）得到公正，同时继续保障公平审判。
Overdue moves to reform Hong Kong’s outdated laws on sexual offences are under way. Following a month-long public consultation on proposed changes, a wide-ranging overhaul could be revealed this year and enacted before the end of the current legislative term next year. It is aimed at aligning laws with changes in society and ensuring justice for survivors of sexual assault, including children and other vulnerable people, while continuing to ensure fair trials.
与此同时，一名高等法院法官和一项学术研究均就现行法律下儿童性侵案件的量刑提出了看法。
Meanwhile, a High Court judge and an academic study have both raised points about sentencing in child sexual assault cases under existing laws.
在判处一名22岁大专学生因性侵至少四名未成年少女罪成时，法官陈庆伟指出，与16岁以下少女非法性交的最高刑罚为五年监禁，属于“过轻”。
Sentencing a 22-year-old tertiary student convicted of sexually assaulting at least four underage girls, Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai commented that the maximum penalty of five years’ jail for unlawful sex with a girl under 16 was “unduly light”.
陈庆伟说：“考虑到与13岁以下少女非法性交的最高刑罚是终身监禁，因此不禁让人疑惑，为何13岁和14岁之间的年龄差距会有如此巨大的刑罚鸿沟。”
“Given the maximum penalty for unlawful sex with a girl under 13 is life imprisonment, one therefore wonders why there is a huge gap between the ages of 13 and 14,” Chan said.
威慑是量刑的一个考量因素。法律可设定最高刑期，但最终刑期由法院裁定。法官会根据上级法院制定的量刑指引，综合考虑个案的若干因素。
Deterrence is an element of sentencing. The law may set maximums, but sentences are ultimately up to the courts. Judges take several factors of a particular case into account, under sentencing guidance set by a higher court.
根据一项对35年犯罪数据的研究，最严重儿童性罪行的平均监禁刑期长期维持在10年以下，而在某些情况下最高刑罚可达终身监禁。
According to a study of 35 years of crime data, average jail sentences for the gravest child sex crimes have remained under 10 years, compared with the maximum, in some cases, of life imprisonment.
香港大学法律教授毕珈慧引用1990年至2025年间401份公开判决书的数据表示，其研究发现，包括强奸、鸡奸和非法性交在内的六项罪行，平均监禁刑期介乎四年六个月至九年八个月之间。
Citing data from 401 publicly available judgments between 1990 and 2025, University of Hong Kong law professor Puja Kapai said her research found six offences – including rape, buggery and unlawful sexual intercourse – carried average prison terms ranging from four years and six months to nine years and eight months.
卡派及其团队还发现，在六项涉及儿童的最严重性罪行中，有四项的判刑呈下降趋势。这种趋势在与13岁以下女童非法性交罪中尤为明显，平均刑期从2000年代中期的10至12年降至近年的五年以下。
Kapai and her team also found that four of the six gravest sexual offences involving children showed a downward trend in sentencing. This was especially pronounced for unlawful intercourse with a girl under 13, where average sentences fell from 10 to 12 years in the mid-2000s to under five years in recent years.
报告虽承认法官受制于先例，并已考量各种因素，但指出这六项罪行的判刑“始终落在低到中等范围，远低于法定最高刑期”。
While acknowledging that judges were bound by precedent and had taken a range of factors into account, the report found that sentences for the six offences “consistently fell in the low to medium range, far below the statutory maximum”.
报告并未涵盖所有涉及儿童的性罪行案件，因为其仅纳入公开记录的判决，排除了通过认罪及其他程序解决的案件。
The report did not cover all cases of sexual offences involving children as it only included judgments in the public record and excluded cases resolved through guilty pleas and other procedures.
在香港的普通法体系下，高等法院——通常指上诉法院——提供量刑指引，设定量刑起点，法官在考虑加重及减轻因素后可上调或下调刑期。
Under Hong Kong’s common-law system, higher courts – usually the Court of Appeal – provide sentencing guidance, setting starting points that judges may adjust upwards or downwards after considering aggravating and mitigating factors.
原则上，应尊重法官的裁决。个别案件的公众情绪或看法不应成为考量因素。
In principle, judges’ rulings are to be respected. Public sentiment or perception in particular cases should not be considerations.
但惩罚应依据当前社区标准反映罪行的严重性，因为判决结果可能影响公众对司法公正的信心。
But punishment should reflect the seriousness of an offence under prevailing community standards, as the outcome could impact on public confidence in the administration of justice.
法官将遵循高等法院确立的先例。每个案件视乎其自身事实，法官会考虑罪行严重性及减轻因素。很难断言判刑是过轻还是过重。但卡派团队的研究提醒我们，有必要确保判刑反映犯罪的严重程度，并发挥威慑作用。
Judges will follow precedents established by the higher courts. Each case turns on its own facts and they will consider the seriousness of the crime and mitigating factors. It is difficult to say whether sentences are too low or too high. But the study by Kapal’s team is a reminder that there is a need to ensure that sentences reflect the criminality involved and act as a deterrent.
确保受害者得到公正也是一个问题。上诉法院在审理案件时有权发布新的量刑指引。例如，如果某种犯罪激增，需要更强的威慑力，上诉法院往往会这样做。在这方面，去年针对17岁以下儿童的性虐待案件较2024年激增20%。
There is also a question of ensuring justice for victims. The Court of Appeal has the power to issue new guidelines when hearing a case. It tends to do this if, for example, there is a surge in a particular type of crime and a greater deterrent is needed. In that regard, sexual abuse cases against children under 17 surged 20 per cent last year, compared with 2024.
香港修改性犯罪法例后，量刑是否会有变化，值得关注。改革建议包括取消基于性别或性取向的过时区分，并将同意年龄统一为16岁。这将提供清晰的法律依据，使法律更加公平。
It will be interesting to see any changes to sentences after Hong Kong amends its sex crime laws. Reform proposals included removal of outdated distinctions based on gender or sexual orientation, and a uniform age of consent of 16. This would provide clarity and make the law fairer.