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Hong Kong’s Catholic leader calls for giving young offenders ‘second chance’

The head of Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese has urged the government to offer young offenders a “second chance to start anew” and to introduce legal…

By Samantha Johnson / April 2, 2026

The head of Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese has urged the government to offer young offenders a “second chance to start anew” and to introduce legal provisions to help those with minor criminal records pursue their careers.

In his Easter message on Thursday, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan also encouraged authorities to reduce the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) so that educators could have more time and space to better support students, amid persistently high youth suicide rates.

“I call on our government and civic leaders to give our young people who have been in trouble with the law a second chance to start anew,” he said. “This will allow them to have the much-needed hope and faith in our society.”

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Without directly referring to the 2019 protests, Chow said prolonged investigations in recent years had remained a threat to young people.

“This, in turn, has taken its toll on their mental health,” he said.

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Even minor criminal records were crippling barriers for young people’s career aspirations, he added.

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