BACHOK: Police recorded a drastic increase of 51 alleged rape cases in the first seven months of this year following the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Kelantan police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat said during the same period last year, 39 such cases were recorded.
"Overall crime cases recorded by the police in the two-year period have dropped but alleged rape and motorcycle theft showed a drastic increase.
"We are more concerned with the rape cases as majority of them involved underage girls and students," he said.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the new Jelawat police station today, Shafien said initial investigations showed that majority of the suspects were known to the victims.
"Our investigations also revealed that some of them are couples but police have to classify the case as alleged rape because the victims were under-aged.
"Most of it allegedly took place either at the victims' or the suspect's homes because during this MCO period they could not go to a hotel, rent a homestay or go to beaches to commit the immoral activities.
"In some of the cases, the suspects had earlier befriended the victims via social media such as Facebook and Instagram," he added.
He said majority of the victims were aged between 13 and 16 years old and the alleged rape cases were recorded in all districts with Pasir Puteh, Kota Baru and Tanah Merah topping the list.
Shafien added police have made several arrests and most of them involved teenagers.
"Almost 90 per cent of the cases were solved with the arrests of the suspects," he added.
On alleged incest cases, he said a total of 14 cases were recorded in the first seven months of this year with another 15 recorded during the same period last year.
On motorcycle thefts, Shafien said it involved bikes that had no safety locks.
"Based on the cases that were recorded, owners' failure to install safety devices on their motorcycles resulted in them being stolen," he added.