The government has underlined that the police cannot file a criminal complaint against an individual who has not caused death or injury or property damage after throwing objects from a height, i.e., upper floors in a building, and, instead, the authorities can only fine him or her for violating municipal regulations
The Office of Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak referred to the issue in a reply to a written interpellation made by directly-elected lawmaker Lei Leong Wong early last month. The office made and signed the reply late last month, copies of which were released by Lei’s office to the media on Monday.
In his written interpellation, Lei referred to a case in December last year where a local man threw a cleaver out of his flat’s window in Fai Chi Kei “due to emotional problems”.
According to police announcement at that time, no one was hit in the incident, nor any property damage was caused.
In its reply to Lei’s interpellation, Wong’s office noted that if evidence proves that an individual has the intent of causing death, injury or property damage by throwing an object from a height, his or her act constitutes a criminal offence.
Moreover, the reply noted that, according to municipal regulations, those who throw objects from their flat’s window or balcony face a fine of 600 patacas.
The reply said that concerning the case in December, no death nor injury nor property damage was caused, and neither did anyone file a complaint against the case, because of which the case was not classified as a criminal one.
The reply said that, consequently, the authorities fined the person in line with municipal regulations.
Lei’s interpellation also asked whether the government would study the possibility of criminalising the offence of throwing objects from a height.
Wong’s office replied that the matter required a cautious study, as the government first needed to hear civil society’s views on the matter.
