Police said today they were investigating allegations that children as young as eight years old were raped and sodomised at a children’s home in Penang.

“We have set up a task force to look into the allegations and what took place in the home,” district police chief Gan Kong Meng told AFP .

“As this is a case involving sexual abuse, we will not be releasing details of the investigation publicly but will forward our findings to the public prosecutor for action,” he said.

Star newspaper reported today that a social worker had filed a police report alleging that “boys and girls, some as young as eight years old, have been apparently sexually abused”.

The English-language daily said the activist claimed that the children were raped, sodomised and molested by the home’s staff, committee members and even volunteers.

Gan confirmed that the police report had been lodged but declined to comment on the claims.

An official at the home, who did not want to be identified, told AFP they were surprised by the allegations but would not comment until the police investigation was complete.

- AFP