KUANTAN: Cases of sexual crimes against children in Pahang have increased to 197 cases for the first eight months of this year compared to 170 cases for the same period last year, the state Information Department revealed.
Its director Datuk Mohd Sabri Abdullah said that the statistics, provided by the police, are a cause for concern and shows a need for more programmes to raise public awareness over the issue.
"The increase is quite worrying and we believe that only through many awareness campaigns can this menace be curbed.
"Sexual crimes against children are hard to detect in the early stages due to it (crimes) being perpetrated by the victims' own family members or someone they (victims) know.
"However, we still need to face this challenge," he said.
He was speaking after having given a speech at the state-level forum on sexual crimes against children here today.
Around 100 participants from government departments, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and residents attended the event, which was organized by the state Information Department.
Sabri said that the department is currently engaged in organising more programmes to raise public awareness over the problem, which is viewed seriously by the government.
He said that members of society need to have access to accurate information so that they would know which channels to use to report incidents of such crimes.
Also present was state Rural Development, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Datuk Shafik Fauzan Sharif.