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Draft:Jackie Hung-sau Chen

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Jackie Hung-sau Chen (born November 9, 1976) is a prominent social worker in Hong Kong with over 25 years of experience in the field. She was convicted of rioting by the Hong Kong government on March 11, 2025[1] for trying to mitigate tensions by urging police to exercise restraint[2] in a protest in 2019. She is remanded for sentencing on April 9, 2025.

Chen had initially been cleared of the rioting charge in 2020 by a district court judge[3] on the grounds that the prosecutors had failed to provide enough evidence to make out any case against her, and that her conduct and speech did not amount to taking part in an unlawful assembly, let alone a riot.[4] But the Hong Kong government appealed against her acquittal and the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial.

Her retrial took place in December 2024 and this time another judge ruled that she had a case to answer. The court also heard that Chen had used a loudspeaker to urge police to act with constraint, to give people time to retreat, and not to deploy tear gas against reporters and residents without protective gear.[5]

In his submissions, Chen's defence lawyer kept asking the prosecutor, "What was the crime in a social worker urging police to act with restraint?"[6] The defence also submitted five letters from character witnesses testifying to the good character of Chen.

Chen's case signaled the tough stance the Hong Kong authorities have taken toward politically sensitive cases.[7] Her verdict and subsequent sentencing will become a major legal precedent for any similar cases to come. Since 2019, more than 800 have been charged with rioting, a crime broadly interpreted by local courts to cover many of those who were merely present or passing by the scenes of violence without intentions proved beyond doubt.[8]

According to The Witness, an online Chinese publication focusing on legal cases in Hong Kong, out of the 2019 protests cases that were charged with rioting, at least 12 defendants (including Jackie Chen) were social workers or social work students.[9] Some were convicted without any proof of intent but by inference from circumstantial evidences, such as their clothing colour or the protective gears they were wearing or carrying at the time of the arrest.[10]

Other than these rioting cases, another case in 2020[11] had a frontline social worker, Lau Ka-tung, charged and convicted, though still unfairly, with "obstructing the execution of justice."

A rioting verdict could have Chen behind bar for seven years maximum.

Education

In her teens Chen attended Valtorta College,[12] a well-known band-one high school in Tai Po, the district where she and her family reside. In 1998, she graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering Programme in System Engineering and Engineering Management (SEEM)[13] from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has two master's degrees, the Master of Social Work[14] from the University of Hong Kong (2003), and the Master of Applied Psychology (Diverse Learning Needs)[15] from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2021). She also completed a Legal Studies Certificate Course at SPACE[16] of University of Hong Kong in 2024.[17]

Professional Contributions and Community Services

Chen was part of the "Battlefield Social Workers" volunteer group, members of which carried a loudspeaker to mediate between police and protesters during Hong Kong's 2019 protests. They monitored police action in case if any excessive or unnecessary force was used on civilians, and offered emotional relief to people as well as support services to those arrested.[18]

She was also an alternative member on the Disciplinary Committee (2022–2024) of Hong Kong's Social Workers Registration Board,[19] and served as a council member when on the board (2016–2022) of the Hong Kong Federation of Social Workers.[20]

In early May 2020, Chen was nominated and won the Outstanding Social Worker Award, presented by the Hong Kong Social Workers Association.[21]

International Volunteer Work

Chen has taken at least six volunteer trips to China, Taiwan and other parts of Asia providing post-disaster psychological support services[22]:

  • 2004 to Thailand – South Asian tsunami[23]
  • 2008 to China – Hubei snow storms
  • 2008 to China - Sichuan flooding
  • 2008 to China – Wenchuan earthquakes
  • 2009 to Taiwan - typhoon Morakot
  • 2013 to China – Ya An earthquake
  • 2012-2016 to Nepal – Gorkha earthquake and post-disaster rebuilding

Hobbies

Chen loves cycling, hiking, running (especially in marathons), travelling, photography, watching movies, enjoying good food and socializing with family and friends.

Pet

Chen's beloved dog, Egg Waffle, is 10 years old.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Leung, Hillary (2025-03-11). "HK social worker Jackie Chen found guilty of rioting after retrial". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  2. ^ Jessie Pang and James Pomfret (2025-03-11). "Hong Kong Court convicts social worker for rioting at retrial". Reuters.
  3. ^ "CRIMINAL LAW – District Court finds no case to answer for riot charge against social worker – Denis Chang's Chambers – Hong Kong Barristers". Retrieved 2025-03-17.
  4. ^ Leung, Hillary (2024-12-06). "Social worker has case to answer in 2019 rioting retrial, court rules". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
  5. ^ Leung, Hillary (2024-12-06). "Social worker has case to answer in 2019 rioting retrial, court rules". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  6. ^ "8.31灣仔暴動｜陳虹秀被指以擴音器勸警保持冷靜實為幫示威者打氣 辯方結案陳詞：「一個社工⋯⋯勸佢哋克制，何罪之有？」 - 庭刊 hkcourtnews.com". hkcourtnews.com. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  7. ^ "A social worker who tried to mediate during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong is convicted of rioting". AP News. 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  8. ^ "Hong Kong pro-democracy social worker convicted over 2019 clash". France 24. 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
  9. ^ "反修例暴動案至少12被告為社工或準社工 陳虹秀4人辯解到場履責 僅一人無罪 - 法庭線 The Witness". 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  10. ^ Same as note 8
  11. ^ "Hong Kong social worker jailed for a year over impeding police work at protest". South China Morning Post. 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  12. ^ "Valtorta College".
  13. ^ https://www.se.cuhk.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/24-SEEM-Leaflet-v2.pdf
  14. ^ "Master of Social Work – Department of Social Work and Social Administration".
  15. ^ "Master of Applied Psychology (Diverse Learning Needs) | Taught Postgraduate Programmes | Study".
  16. ^ https://hkuspace.hku.hk/
  17. ^ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10170801145520494&set=a.10152089617515494&type=3
  18. ^ Same as note 2
  19. ^ 郭梓謙 (2024-07-31). "社工註冊局｜陳虹秀前年獲委入紀委會 新主席許宗盛稱已叫停名單". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2025-03-17.
  20. ^ 呂穎姍 (2024-05-10). "拆局｜孫玉菡轟社工註冊局 消息指涉被捕陳虹秀入選紀委備選名單". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2025-03-17.
  21. ^ Ho, Kelly (2020-06-12). "The perilous role of Hong Kong's 'battlefield' social workers: 'How could I not do this?'". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
  22. ^ Jessie Pang and James Pomfret (2025-03-11). "Hong Kong court convicts social worker for rioting at retrial". Reuters.
  23. ^ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02vPrTTgLbjpdiS6nRbhxN66VUM6cxtTYe7PrhRFiBDJXxoVRcBq7Z3MmzCg1d78gQl&id=686140493
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