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版面/版頁: EDT/EDT2 日期: 2011-01-27

南華早報
作者: Simpson Cheung and Phyllis Tsang

Police push for access to records of mentally ill

The new commissioner of police wants access to public hospital information about the city's
psychiatric patients.

But mental health and human rights groups warned that civil liberties might be abused if his
proposal went through.

Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung said yesterday at the Legislative Council that police and the Food
and Health Bureau were studying a plan that would allow police officers access to the community
mental rehabilitation database.

"Police always receive reports on abnormal behaviour in the community," Tsang said. "As we cannot
access the relevant information (on the mental rehabilitation database), it is difficult for us to
make assessments and follow up."

The government was considering setting up a mechanism relating to mental illness similar to that in
effect for domestic violence, Tsang said. Police refer domestic violence incidents to social
workers.

Tsang did not elaborate on how broad police powers would be in relation to information in the
database. It was unclear whether someone would have to be a crime suspect for access to their records
to be gained.

In a statement last night, a police spokesman said Food and Health Bureau officials had discussed
establishing "a mechanism whereby relevant government departments, including Labour and Welfare
Bureau, Hospital Authority, Social Welfare Department, Housing Department and the police, may
communicate with one another information relating to mentally ill persons".

In 2010, police dealt with 35 homicides, nine of which involved people with mental illnesses. In
2009, nine of 47 homicides involved people with mental illnesses.

A 42-year-old mentally ill man was arrested after killing two people and seriously injuring three in
a chopping spree at a Kwai Chung estate last year.

A review committee was set up after that incident. Its report, adopted by the Hospital Authority
last year, suggested that information be shared between t hospitals and police.

Tsang mentioned the proposal yesterday in response to a lawmaker's question about the number of
homicides involving mental patients.

In reaction, Dr May Lam Mei-ling, a member of the Hong Kong Early Psychosis Intervention Society,
said she feared that police access to patients' files would magnify the labelling effect (increase
general perceptions that people with mental illnesses were more likely than others to be involved in
violence or criminal behaviour), making it harder for them to blend into the society.

"I think police need to strike a balance between community safety and human rights," she said.

She said many studies indicated that mentally ill patients were not particularly violent compared
to other citizens who were not mentally ill.

"Being accepted by others is one of the most important steps for their recovery progress," she said.

Tim Pang Hung-cheong, community organiser for the Society for Community Organisation, also
questioned the need for police to access patients' records.

He said the police and other relevant departments already held regular district-level meetings to
discuss complaints about mental patients.

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版面/版頁: EDT/EDT2 日期: 2011-01-27
南華早報
作者: Simpson Cheung and Phyllis Tsang

Law Yuk-kai, director for Human Rights Monitor, said he saw the proposal as a threat to privacy
rights.

"I am very concerned about who can access the database," he said. "The [police] force needs to
specify if there is any penalty for unauthorised disclosure or leakage before putting it [any new
regulation] in place."

Source: Wisers electronic service. The copyright of this content is owned by the relevant media organization / copyright owner. Any
reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this content without express authorization is strictly prohibited. All rights
reserved.
本內容經慧科的電子服務提供。 本內容之版權由相關傳媒機構 / 版權持有人擁有。除非獲得明確授權，否則嚴禁複製、改編、分發或發布本內容。版權持有人
保留一切權利。
Print out of Wisers electronic service 慧科電子服務列印本