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Fiona Chow

A former Hong Kong prison officer has been sentenced to three years in jail for severely wounding an inmate by repeatedly thrusting a stick into the victim’s rectum after the defendant was sprinkled with baby powder during a game of bingo.
District Court Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che on Monday handed down the punishment to Tam Lik-chung, a former Correctional Services Department assistant officer, saying the defendant had committed “a very serious” crime by leading the assault and instructing other inmates to take part.
Tam, now 35 years old, admitted to repeatedly assaulting the victim with the stick at Pik Uk Prison in Sai Kung on December 26, 2023, causing the inmate to suffer from rectal bleeding.
To cover up his wrongdoing, Tam also asked the victim to lie about the cause of his injury by falsely claiming that he had used a pen to “scratch” his behind after finding blood in his stool.
In April, the long-serving officer pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.
Judge Yiu said he had considered several aggravating factors when sentencing Tam.
“The seriousness of this case is that the assault involved thrusting a rod into the victim’s rectum, severely wounding his rectum and causing him to receive a stoma. It was fortunate that the victim was able to recover fully,” he said.
But the judge noted that Tam had shown genuine remorse and expressed regret for his impulsive actions.

The court previously heard that Tam, another officer and four inmates on remand were playing bingo in the prison’s activity room on December 26. The game rules included sprinkling baby powder on the loser.
During the game, the victim – identified in court by his surname Chiu – sprinkled Tam with baby powder from behind.
After the game ended, Tam led the group to a staircase, where he told Chiu to bend over and take off his trousers.
A security camera captured an inmate entering the activity room and leaving with a stick before returning to the stairwell, where no camera was installed.
According to Chiu’s account, Tam said: “I will go gentle on you if you take off your pants. But if you do not, then I will pull out a stick.”
Chiu went down on all fours, but kept his underwear on.
The victim heard someone pass a stick to Tam and shortly afterwards he felt his perineum being poked a few times.
Chiu suffered immediate anal bleeding and dizziness. He was bedridden until he called for help later that day because he was suffering from immense pain and an inability to urinate.
Three other inmates – Bosco Lee, 21; Ho Lik-wun, 22; and Brian Lam Shing-wai, 22 – were also convicted of taking part in the assault. The court found Lam guilty over his decision to take the weapon and pass it to Tam.
The judge said that Lam, who was Chiu’s cellmate, took care of him after he was injured and decided to ring the emergency bell when he noticed Chiu’s condition worsening.
Yiu noted that the victim had forgiven Lam.
The court heard the three young men were already serving jail terms for previous drug-related convictions. Lee had been sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2024.
Yiu said the trio had merely obeyed Tam’s instruction, citing the power imbalance within the group.
Considering the unusual nature of the case, Yiu extended their current sentences by four to six months.


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The assault took place at Pik Uk Prison in 2023. Photo: Dickson Lee

An officer patrols the grounds of Pik Uk Prison in 2019. Photo: Dickson Lee

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The assault occurred at Pik Uk Prison in Sai Kung on Boxing Day in 2023. Photo: Jelly Tse

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The attack took place at Pik Uk Prison in Clear Water Bay. Photo: Dickson Lee

The court heard that the attack occurred after a game of bingo. Photo: Jelly Tse

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Tam Lik-chung repeatedly assaulted the victim with a stick at Pik Uk Prison in 2023, causing the inmate to suffer from rectal bleeding


Tam Lik-chung repeatedly assaulted the victim with a stick at Pik Uk Prison in 2023, causing the inmate to suffer from rectal bleeding.


Correctional Services Department

Crime in Hong Kong

Crime

Former Hong Kong prison officer jailed for 3 years over brutal attack on inmate

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Tam Lik-chung repeatedly assaulted the victim with a stick at Pik Uk Prison in 2023, causing the inmate to suffer from rectal bleeding

Tam Lik-chung repeatedly assaulted the victim with a stick at Pik Uk Prison in 2023, causing the inmate to suffer from rectal bleeding