The International Montessori School (IMS) located in Hong Kong has refuted all claims of on-campus misconduct, following a parent’s allegation that his four-year-old son might have been subjected to sexual assault at the institution.
After the boy’s father submitted a police report on April 17, law enforcement authorities confirmed that they are probing the case as an indecent assault involving a child under the age of 16. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Reports indicate that the French boy, who is in possession of a Hong Kong Identity Card, told his parents that he felt pain in his buttocks after being picked up from school. Subsequently, his parents took him to Gleneagles Hospital, where medical professionals are said to have discovered redness around the child’s anal region.
On May 7, rumors spread online suggesting that a foreign male teacher was involved in the incident. This triggered widespread anxiety among parents and intense debates in school-related chat groups. A number of parents also raised doubts about whether there are CCTV blind spots on the campus and whether similar incidents might have occurred previously.
In an official statement released on May 7, IMS stated that it had conducted a thorough review of all relevant records and CCTV footage from the day the alleged incident took place. The school asserted that the video recordings offered a complete record of the child’s activities on that day, showing “no inappropriate conduct” and no unexplained gaps in his movements.
“Based on our current findings, there is no proof that such an incident happened on our school grounds,” the statement read. “There is also no sign that other students are in danger or that any school staff member was involved in the alleged incident.”
The school further emphasized that all its employees undergo criminal background checks and are required to sign child protection declarations prior to being hired.
Established in 2002, IMS runs four campuses across Hong Kong, situated in Stanley, Mid-Levels, South Horizons, and Aldrich Bay. It is reported that the annual tuition fee for kindergarten at the school is approximately HK$150,000.
