Wanita MCA: Rising cases of sexual abuse on children disturbing

Wanita MCA chief Wong You Fong said her party was deeply perturbed over recent statistics indicating sexual offences committed against children are on a rising trend annually.

In a statement today, Wong said it was even more alarming that 80 percent of the cases were committed by perpetrators known to the victims.

“We call upon everyone to make every effort to end this heinous crime and help create a safe environment for our children.

"We urge the public to be more vigilant to thwart similar incidents via the common strength of the community - helping each other and safeguarding minors together, so that such incidents may be reduced.

"MCA’s women’s wing also urges parents to pay more attention to the people around their children, on top of teaching their offspring about basic precautions as early as possible, such as, unacceptable body touching," she said.

Wong added that parents also need to have open, two-way communication with their children so that the latter would feel safe to freely confide in them without getting into trouble regarding any uncomfortable experiences with others.

She was responding to a joint statement issued by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek that there were 1,570 cases of child sexual abuse reported last year, 110 of whom involved children under the age of 6.

The statement also revealed that from 2017 to last year, there were 6,990 child sexual abuse victims reported in Malaysia - most of whom were between the ages of 13 and 15 years.

‘Tip of the iceberg’

On that note, Wong said the data given may only be the tip of the iceberg as many cases go unreported.

“Police reports reveal that 80 percent of these cases were committed by persons known to the victim, making investigations more complex," said Wong.

Having said that, she lauded the government's proactive measures, including the Education Ministry's release of guidelines on reporting sexual misconduct, as well as raising legal awareness among students and educators.

"We urge the government to build on these steps with better initiatives, such as forming dedicated child sexual abuse response teams - composed of specialised police officers and social workers - who would visit schools to educate students and staff on prevention, reporting procedures and available support resources.

"Youngsters are also urged to learn about self-protection and not to blindly submit to another individual hovering over them with power.

"Only via joint efforts by the government and society as a whole can we create a safe environment for our children," she said.

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