Abuse cases prompt calls for stronger reporting and staff checks

The Against Child Abuse (Macau) Association has called for clearer reporting procedures, earlier risk screening, and tighter vetting of staff who work with children, following a string of cases involving abuse in care homes and in families.

Preferring not to comment on specific cases and ongoing investigations, the group set out its position on broader institutional gaps in an interview with the Times.

Addressing the family-based abuse, which the association says accounted for about 80% of suspected child abuse cases between 2025 and 2026, it argued that the key is to make frontline staff in schools, healthcare, social services, and the community more vigilant for possible abuse.

“Frontline workers need to understand which situations require reporting, to whom they should report, who takes over after a report, and how to prevent children from repeatedly recounting traumatic experiences during referrals,” an association representative told the Times.

It called on all child-related units to develop internal reporting guidelines, including rapid safety assessments and crisis intervention for cases in immediate danger, and early links to community resources — parenting support, psychological help, financial or care assistance — for at-risk families not yet in crisis, with regular home visits.

The association said the Domestic Violence Law provides an important legal framework with both educational and deterrent value, but that punishment mainly addresses harm already done.

Early identification is crucial

“Early identification, crisis intervention and follow-up remain crucial,” it said, arguing that law enforcement, early screening, cross-departmental intervention and long-term home visits for high-risk families must form “a continuous chain of protection.”

Regarding the mandatory reporting system discussed in the Legislative Assembly, the association said its core principle is the “best interests of the child” — when there is reasonable suspicion of abuse, a report should be made first to reduce the child’s exposure to risk, they noted, further explaining that “even if multiple agencies report the same case, duplication reflects that different units have independently noticed a family in crisis, which is preferable to cases going unnoticed.”

Case assessment can then determine whether a case enters judicial proceedings or is referred to appropriate support services, allowing high-risk families to receive help on several fronts.

More training and clearer procedures

Regarding cross-professional training — the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) trained more than 400 frontline staff in April with the Judiciary Police, the Health Bureau, and social service organizations — the association said comprehensive training is essential so that different professionals share a basic understanding of the law and procedures.

Beyond those groups, it said frontline staff in child-related settings, including nursery carers, tutoring center employees, and interest class instructors, should also be required to take basic training.

When asked what measurable reforms it would like to see in care home management and staff vetting, the group proposed that newly hired staff in direct contact with children submit criminal record certificates and update them regularly, along with periodic self-declarations regarding conduct and ethics. They added that this requirement should also apply to existing employees and volunteers.

Internal supervision

In calling for additional training and clearer boundaries with service users to prevent inappropriate behavior, the group also said to advocate that “staff should supervise one another and report any suspected abuse to superiors immediately.”

“Care homes should establish internal procedures for how staff raise concerns, how parents lodge complaints, and the time limits for intervention, and open up their physical environment, reducing enclosed spaces and ensuring all areas are visible, so staff can monitor one another.”

The association also urged a standing care mechanism for children in residential care, focusing on adjustment to home life and interpersonal safety, to screen for hidden risks.

Macau’s Domestic Violence Law provides for penalties of up to 25 years’ imprisonment for domestic violence and the abuse of minors. Lawmakers, including José Pereira Coutinho, have repeatedly pressed the government to introduce a mandatory reporting system for suspected child abuse by schools and professionals, with clear procedures and criminal liability.

In August, a father was convicted of domestic violence and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after assaulting his one-year-old daughter, including squeezing her face and subjecting her to other forms of violence, leaving her with serious head injuries.

According to the association, suspected child abuse cases rose in 2025, with about 80% involving abuse by family members, including physical abuse and neglect.

The resurgence of the public debate over child abuse, particularly involving sexual abuse, was caused by the recent case involving a 34-year-old male supervisor at a youth and children’s care home in the northern district. The Judiciary Police arrested the man on October 1 on the accusations of allegedly touching the private parts of a nine-year-old boy over four consecutive nights in August while the boy slept. 37 videos of other residents showering were found on his phone, involving five underage male residents.

The Public Prosecutions Office has already received the case, and IAS condemned the conduct and ordered the institution to review its guidelines.

Amid the ongoing debate over amending the laws and procedures, IAS already said it will improve care home management and review staff admission mechanisms.