Police have recorded a nearly 30 percent jump in child abuse cases in the first six months of the year, and said that's partially attributed to the return to normalcy after Covid-19.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, officers said the total number of cases rose 29.2 percent from a year ago to 716, with about half of them involving physical violence, exposure, ill treatment or neglect of a child, and the other half linked to sexual offences.

“A lot of social activities resumed… And that's why more sexual abuses were reported. When [children] return to school or have their social life resumed, they will have more opportunities to encounter different kinds of people like their schoolmates or friends in different activities," senior superintendent Kong Wing-cheung said.

“And also, with the resumption of the school life, we observed that more cases of physical abuse were reported, which is due to some parenting issues, maybe because of their school life or because of their schoolwork."

Kong said in a majority of sexual abuse cases, the alleged perpetrator and purported victim knew each other. “About 75 percent of cases were committed by friends, family members or by their lovers."

He said in some of the other cases, suspects approached purported victims online, asked them to become their boyfriends or girlfriends and tricked them into sending naked photos, and on some occasions further assaults were committed.

Police said the youngest victim of such cases is a 9-year-old girl.