A 38-year-old clerk has accused a senior police officer in Bukit Aman of intervening to get his daughter withdraw an allegation she made of being molested by her stepfather.

The clerk, who is the 16-year-old girl’s father, is divorced from his wife, and his daughter is now staying with her mother and stepfather in Sepang. ( Malaysiakini is not naming the family members in order to protect the girl.)

The teenager lodged a police report earlier this month saying that her stepfather went to her room sometime last August, when her mother was in labour in a hospital’s delivery room.

“My stepfather came to my room about 10pm that night and rubbed my back and chest. I tried to resist but he carried on and stayed in my room until 4am,” the report obtained by Malaysiakini states.

She subsequently related the incident to her brother who was staying with their grandfather in Negri Sembilan, and the brother also lodged a separate report as he feared for her safety.

Her father, the clerk, came to know about the incident from the girl’s grandfather and lodged a report, fearing that his former wife would pressure their daughter to withdraw her report.

“Subsequently the stepfather was remanded for four days to assist in investigations,” said the clerk.

However, he said his worst fears were realised when he came to know that a relative, who is a police officer, had intervened in the case.

“An officer in Bukit Aman was also involved and subsequently, my daughter withdrew the police report sometime last week,” he claimed.

The clerk added that he met with Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat to relate his predicament on May 21. He also went to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Putrajaya to report the matter.

A day later, he lodged another police report on his meeting with the Selangor police chief and  expressed concern over the possibility of the intervention.

‘No action as report withdrawn’

Malaysiakini has obtained comments from a police spokesperson, who confirmed the matter and said police wanted to progress by taking action on the stepfather, but could not as the victim had withdrawn her report.

“We have submitted the investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers but the Selangor prosecution department chief does not want to go ahead following the withdrawal of the victim’s report,” the police officer said.

“I have advised the father to submit an appeal on the matter to the prosecution department. We are also investigating those who are alleged to have interfered in the case,” the police spokesperson said.

However, he said, the police have not been able to get details on the officers involved. There is also the possibility that it is not interference per se, but they could have been merely giving advice on what is to be done, he added.

The police have also interviewed the victim on her reasons for withdrawing the report, and she said she was not pressured to do so, the spokesperson added.

“Hence, there was nothing much we could do.”