According to Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain, the 13 victims, as well as the 389 other children rescued, endured physical and emotional injuries.

“Our preliminary investigation found that there were four children who were allegedly sodomised. Upon further interviews with the other victims, we discovered there were nine more.

“So, altogether there are 13, and they are all teenagers,” he told the media at the police training centre (Pulapol) here.

On Wednesday, it was reported that a total of 402 children, aged between one and 17 years, were rescued after police raided 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. Police also arrested 171 people in the operation.

Razarudin was previously reported to have said that some of the victims were sodomised and also taught to sexually assault others.

The company, GISBH, has since denied any link to the welfare homes involved and rejected allegations that children under its care were sodomised and forced to sexually assault others.

Razarudin today also said the rescued children were surrendered to the welfare homes when they were two years old, and that they were related to persons linked to GISBH.

“They were separated from their parents when they were two. Some of the parents are overseas, including in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and have not seen their children for six years,” he said.

The police are also investigating if the parents had voluntarily left their children at the welfare homes or they did so upon instructions from any third party.

Of the 402 children rescued, Razarudin said 10 of them were handed to the welfare department as they are categorised as disabled, autistic, and sick. The remainder were still undergoing screening and interviews at Pulapol.

Police said most of the children are aged five or older, with 198 between the ages of five and 12, 115 children (13-17), 57 children (4 and below), and 14 children (17 and above).

However, police have yet to determine the ages of eight other victims.