Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday expressed the hope that the Hong Chi Association will review the operations of its care homes, after a former staff member was charged for the alleged sexual assault of two intellectually impaired residents at its Tai Po facility.

Lee described the incident – which Hong Chi said took place in August and saw the 38-year-old suspect sacked – as despicable, saying police should investigate the matter thoroughly.

The Chief Executive noted that an independent review committee formed by the association should file a report over the matter as soon as possible to ensure that the interest of residents came first.

“I hope the committee will look at the home’s overall operation, including the services it provides to residents, as well as effective management and supervision systems,” he said.

“There should be a comprehensive system for training, discipline and supervision of its staff. They must put the interests of the residents first."

Lee also said he thinks the Social Welfare Department did the right thing by cutting short the licence review period for the Tai Po home from three years to one.