This is shocking.
As many as 11,809 or 73% of all rape cases reported in Malaysia involved children aged 18 and below, and in most cases the crime is committed by people known to the victims because they are family members such as fathers, stepfathers and uncles.
Malaysian Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar, who revealed the statistics, said from 2006 to 2010, 11,809 out of 16,159 rape victims were children, with 54% aged 16 and below, while another 19% were aged 16 to 18.
In the same period, there were 1,823 cases of sexual abuse and 60% of the cases were committed by fathers, stepfathers and uncles, he said.
Khalid said another 1,017 children were victims of physical abuse during that period, averaging at 200 a year, he said, adding that 579 (57%) were boys while 43% (438) were girls.
“As many as 431 child abuse victims were aged one to seven,” he said in Kuala Lumpur on July 2011.
Police data during the period also showed that 5,270 children aged 18 and below were reported missing and 2,982 (57%) of them were later found.
He said some of the reasons for the children running away from home were that they wanted “freedom”, influenced by boyfriends and disagreement with parents.
To assist child victims, Khalid said they interviewed children at the Child Interview Centre on the crime committed against them so that the police could charge the perpetrators.
Meanwhile Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Ministry Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie said people should be aware that most of sexual abuse cases targeted at children were committed by close family members such as fathers, step-fathers and uncles.
She said the ministry had developed parenting programmes on parental responsibilities to counter such crimes against children and had created awareness on risks that children generally faced.
She also urged mothers to keep watch over their children, especially daughters.
Say NO to Rape!!!
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