KUCHING: Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato Sri Hajah Abdullah has congratulated Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for proposing the setting up of the “Mahkamah Jenayah Seksual Terhadap Kanak-Kanak (“JSKK”), a Special Court to deal with Sexual Offences against Children in Malaysia, the first in Asia.
In a press statement yesterday, she also thanked Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Dato’ Sri Rohani binti Haji Abdul Karim, for ensuring that the special court came to fruition.
” Indeed, the setting up of this JSKK Court could not have come at a more opportune time as we witness children worldwide becoming more vulnerable to abuse in this borderless world.
” The passing of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act in 2017 by the Malaysian Parliament, and now the extension of JSKK to Kuching, Sarawak, indeed proves that the government is committed to providing our children a safe country to live in, an environment that is conducive to their physical, mental and spiritual development.
“In keeping with Article 19, Convention on the Rights of the Child (Adopted and ratified by UN General Assembly Resolution 44/25, 1989), Malaysia as a State Party recognised and undertook to “take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse…”. Indeed the Malaysian government is walking the talk,” she added.
According to Fatimah, based on the Social Welfare Department statistics from 2015-2016, 5,779 cases of sexual abuse against children were recorded from 2010 until 2015 with an average of 963 cases a year, while the police recorded 2,759 rape cases, incest (412 cases), molest (1,423 cases) and unnatural sex (422 cases) between 2015 and 2016 involving victims aged 18 and below.
Touching on the statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) last year, the Minister added: “Here in Sarawak, for the year 2017, out of 234 sexual cases reported, a total of 172 cases involved children under the age 18 years old with the following breakdown: rape- 119, outrage of modesty (molestation)- 22, sexual offences against children-23, unnatural sex – 8. ”
In some of the cases, the suspects, she said, had been charged while othrs were awaiting trial.
“There is a downward trend. However, it is our fervent hope that the systematic and speedy prosecution of sexual offences against children will act as a deterrent, and reduce the number of such offences significantly,” said Fatimah.
She added: “As the Minister entrusted with Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Sarawak, I welcome the extension of the JSKK to Sarawak.
“The specialised nature of the court’s jurisdiction, the physical facilities that it is equipped with, the particular experience and training of the Bench and supporting staff ensure that the identities of the child witnesses will be protected. It also means that the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice now.
“As the maxim goes, “Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done”. It is indeed vitally important that child victims get swift justice and a sense of closure in order to move on with their lives.”
