From: Steven Thiru, via email
The Malaysian Bar is aghast at the recent public disclosure that close to 200 young children were systematically sexually abused between March 2006 and December 2014 by a British citizen residing in Malaysia.
Measures since announced by the government are commendable. However, they do not go far enough to address the fact that for nine years, there was a paedophile living among us and preying upon our most defenceless children.
He remained under the radar, and we, as a society, were seemingly oblivious to the harm that he was causing.
It is perplexing that during this prolonged period of systematic abuse of so many children, no suspicions were aroused and no police reports were lodged by any of his victims, their families or the wider communities in which the children lived and attended school.
Furthermore, PDRM reportedly had no knowledge of the paedophile until recently, although United Kingdom’s National Crime Authority had allegedly informed PDRM in November 2014. It is unclear why there was subsequently an apparent lack of police investigation and action against the paedophile.
The fact that a paedophile was able to operate with such wanton impunity on Malaysian soil demonstrates that sexual abuse of persons at risk is a more prevalent and entrenched problem than appreciated.
It is therefore imperative that we go beyond short-term reactionary measures. We must urgently establish a comprehensive and holistic national child protection policy that places child protection at the forefront of our national consciousness, and implement it immediately to ensure that such evil will never recur.
The policy must include concrete measures to:
(a) create awareness on the rights of children and our responsibilities in protecting them;
(b) improve our ability and capacity to detect, report, investigate and follow up on sex crimes against children; and
(c) ensure that our system of administration of justice is sensitive to the needs of the victims and their families, and metes out the appropriate punishment on the persons convicted.
Our social services, educational, health and legal systems, as well as the levels of funding, must be assessed. All necessary steps must be taken to help families protect children’s rights and create an environment where children can grow in good health and safety.
It is no coincidence that the abused children belong to minority and marginalised communities, as perpetrators target the most helpless among us.
Only the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive and holistic national child protection policy will ensure that our children are shielded from harm, enjoy their childhood, and are able to thrive and fulfil their potential.
Steven Thiru is president of the Malaysian Bar.
SEE ALSO:
British paedophile exploited stigma of abuse in vulnerable communities
10 steps to protect children from paedophiles
Give priority to protecting the kids
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