A 62-year-old local male shop owner was arrested for touching a 12-year-old girl’s breasts, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei said yesterday during a regular press conference.
According to the spokeswoman, the incident happened last Monday, when the 12-year-old secondary school student was walking around a shop in the northern district with her younger brother. The spokeswoman said that according to the girl, the shop owner, surnamed Lei, suddenly hugged her from behind and touched her breasts. The spokeswoman said that the girl frantically pulled away from the suspect and ran away. The spokeswoman added that the girl told her class teacher about the incident on Thursday and the school reported the case to the police on the same day.
The spokeswoman said that on Thursday afternoon, the police went to the shop where the incident took place and arrested the shop owner, adding that he admitted to committing the crime. The spokeswoman said that the shop owner claimed that he did it because “he could not control himself”. The spokeswoman pointed out that the shop owner has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a child sexual abuse charge.
According to Article 166 of the Macau Penal Code, a suspect who has sexually harassed a person under the age of 14 faces a child sex abuse charge and a prison term of up to three years, rather than a sexual harassment charge, which carries a prison term of up to one year.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference.
Photo: Prisca Tang
