Combatting intimate image abuse in Hong Kong

For some time, it has been recognised that intimate image abuse can cause significant harm to victims and that the existing criminal offences in Hong Kong were neither adequate nor appropriate to address such behaviour. To remedy this situation, four new offences were added to the Crimes Ordinance in October 2021. These offences cover voyeurism, unlawful recording of intimate images, publication of images unlawfully obtained and non-consensual publication of intimate images. This article explores the background to the new offences in Hong Kong, before critically and comparatively examining the elements of the new offences. In doing so, it contributes to the ongoing debate both in Hong Kong and overseas about how the criminal law can most appropriately respond to the harms caused by intimate image abuse.