Watch: Woman kidnapped outside Hong Kong jail complex in broad daylight as guards look on

Hong Kong: After the security officers deployed outside Stanley prison failed to save the woman who was abducted outside Stanley Prison, Hong Kong police detained four people, including a 16-year-old girl, on suspicion of false imprisonment, the police said on Sunday.

Chief Inspector Wong Yu-fai of the force’s Western district said at 10.19 a.m. on Saturday, police received a report that a woman had been pulled into a car by four people at a minibus stop outside Stanley Prison.

Despite the efforts of two Correctional Services Department officers and a few bystanders to stop them, the suspects fled.

In a video of the incident surfaced on social media, three men were seen approaching and assaulting the victim at the minibus stop before pulling her into the vehicle.

The video also showed two passerbyes who tried to save the woman but failed.

In the video, a prison officer is seen approaching the vehicle, while an attacker pushes him away.

The video also showed the officer trying and failing to rescue the woman from the attackers when they were pushing the woman into the vehicle.

Another officer came to his aid, but the video ended before he arrived.

1/5) Men kidnapped a woman in front of Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison. Bystanders begged two prison officers (CSD) to intervene. The officers approached and meekly ask the kidnappers to “stop fighting.” One touches the kidnappers’ shoulders a few times and tugs lightly on his shirt. pic.twitter.com/0ZVfvslW7L

— Samuel Bickett (@SamuelBickett) December 18, 2022

Reports say that officers from the Hong Kong Island Regional Headquarters’ emergency and tactical units later intercepted the vehicle and rescued the woman 15 minutes later on Wong Chuk Hang Road near Ocean Park.

Reportedly, they took action after receiving information from the public about the suspects’ appearance, licence plate number, and escape route.

Wong stated that the four local suspects, who included a 16-year-old girl and three men ranging in age from 17 to 37, were detained overnight on suspicion of false imprisonment, assault causing actual bodily harm, common assault, and dangerous driving.

“The police believe the victim and the four arrested have known each other for more than a year, and that the motive is related to some money disputes involving hundreds of thousands (of dollars),” Wong said.

According to him, police would look into the money dispute and any potential involvement of additional parties. The Western District anti-triad unit is in charge of the case.

Wong stated that the 32-year-old female victim was assaulted both on the scene and inside the vehicle. Her head and limbs were both injured. He also stated that a Correctional Services Department officer who attempted to rescue her
was struck in the head by one of the suspects.

He stated that the force would not comment on the actions of the involved correctional officers.

“It is difficult for a third party to judge what an individual should or should not have done at the moment. People might not understand what was going on.

“I request everyone not to rush to judgement” Wong said.

Executive Council convenor and former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, on the other hand, believes the officers involved could have been more proactive.

“I’ve seen the television clips. They should have been more proactive, because it was clearly not a fight, but a kidnapping. Despite the fact that correctional officers and police officers have different duties, they should have been more proactive and prevented the woman from being kidnapped,” Ip said.

“Luckily, police were able to intercept the vehicle, otherwise the consequences would have been dire.”

False imprisonment is punishable by up to seven years in jail in Hong Kong.

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