Hong Kong police have defended their track record on women and children and dismissed claims of gender-based violence as “fake news,” after a group of district councillors started a petition calling for officers to apologize and face disciplinary measures.

The force “places a high priority on the protection of women and children, and [officers] have always dealt with cases involving women and children strictly in accordance with rules and internal guidelines, in order to guarantee their rights and safety,” police said in a statement Saturday.

Around 250 district councillors and community officers have signed a petition condemning the police for breaching the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The signatories urged the police to apologize for officers tackling a pregnant woman on Aug. 31 and an incident on Sept. 6 where officers tackled a 12-year-old girl. They also demanded a stop to the “abuse of force” against women and children, and the setting up of an independent inquiry to look into police actions.

The petition was started by Tsuen Wan District Councillors Chan Kim-kam, Lester Shum and Ronald Tse, and included 14 women’s rights and gender-equality groups as cosignatories.

In response to the allegations, police said that the Aug. 31 and Sept. 6 incidents took place at protest sites, and that the force had warned the public against going to those areas. Officers have a responsibility to enforce the law, including using a minimal level of force, they added.

Accusations of gender-based violence were “groundless, malicious attacks,” police said, adding that no evidence has been provided to substantiate the “very grave allegations.”

Police also criticized some of their critics for spreading “fake news” to incite hatred, including allegations of police abuses at the San Uk Ling Holding Centre and an alleged rape case at Tsuen Wan police station last year.

Civic Party lawmaker Jeremy Tam on Saturday called on Police Commissioner Chris Tang to apologize.

“The police are denying that they pushed over a pregnant woman despite there being video evidence. They claim to protect the public, but they shift the blame onto so-called fake news,” Tam wrote on Facebook.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play