Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) Acting Director Leong Wai Kei revealed yesterday that her bureau has contacted the legal guardian of a schoolgirl who recently claimed on Facebook that she had been sexually harassed by a teacher.
Leong made the remarks on the sidelines of a school graduation ceremony in Areia Preta.
Last Wednesday, a Chan Sui Ki Perpetual Help College (CSKPHC) secondary school pupil anonymously published a #MeToo post on the “New CSKPHC Secrets Page” Facebook group about a male teacher allegedly having touched her multiple times. After the post, there were others who claimed having had similar situations with the same teacher.
Asked by a reporter why the bureau didn’t reveal any information about the matter to the public until yesterday, Leong said that the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau had already sent officials to the school about the alleged incident and contacted the parents concerned, adding that not having revealed the case before was meant to protect the privacy of pupils and parents.
Leong revealed the case yesterday after reporters had asked her about it.
She did not name the school but informed sources revealed the name of the Roman-Catholic school to The Macau Post Daily last night.
“If parents think that it is necessary to report the incident to the police, it would then be a judicial procedure… the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) should not inform the public about something which is still unclear,” Leong said.
Leong underlined that so far only one legal guardian had contacted her bureau about the alleged case.
However, according to Leong, what the legal guardian said was different from the allegations made online. She noted that so far only one male teacher was targeted by the allegations, but the bureau would look into the possibility that more teachers could be involved.
Meanwhile, the bureau released a statement last night urging the alleged sexual harassment victims to go to the police.
Several local education institutions including a private kindergarten and the public University of Macau (UM) have recently been involved in alleged sexual abuse cases.
The bureau said late last week that its investigation into alleged sexual abuse at the private D. Jose da Costa Nunes Kindergarten had already been completed and its findings and an official report about the case would be released this week.
Last month, the police confirmed the arrest of a local university professor for allegedly having assaulted a female mainland
student, and the Public Prosecution Office (MP) later confirmed that a man surnamed Mo was remanded in custody for the alleged sexual assault of a woman. Portuguese-language radio channel of government-owned broadcaster TDM first reported the allegation and identified the suspect as the former dean of the Law Faculty of the University of Macau (UM), John Mo Shijian.
Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) Acting Director Leong Wai Kei listens to a reporter’s question on the sidelines of a school graduation ceremony in Areia Preta.Courtesy TDM
