Following the acquittal of a man charged with loitering, Hong Kong officials and legal experts are renewing calls for the government to implement specific anti-stalking laws. The defendant had been accused of following a teenage girl to her secondary school classroom, but the magistrate ruled that the current loitering charge was insufficient to cover the specific nature of his actions.

During the proceedings, the magistrate noted the absence of a dedicated law to criminalize stalking, which has left a gap in the city’s legal framework. Lawmakers and government advisers are now urging the administration to revisit a legislative proposal that was first introduced 26 years ago. Proponents of the new law argue that the current system fails to protect individuals from persistent, unwanted attention that does not necessarily meet the technical requirements of existing criminal charges like loitering or harassment.

While there is broad consensus among officials that the current laws are inadequate, the debate centers on how to define stalking in a way that is enforceable without infringing on civil liberties. The government has not yet provided a specific timeline for when or if a new bill will be drafted, despite the increasing pressure from legal experts who argue that the lack of legislation leaves victims vulnerable to repeat offenders.