KUALA LUMPUR: There has been an increase in sexual abuse cases involving children over the past five years, said Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
He added that a total of 6,462 cases had been reported between 2020 and 2024.
Speaking to TV3 during a special BuletinTV3 Edisi Khas podcast, he attributed the rise in cases to several factors, including the lack of supervision over children.
"Underage rape is increasing each year, and statistics show that sexual abuse cases involving children (also increased) year to year, in 2020 a total of 1,028 cases, 2021 (1,032 cases), 2022 (1,193 cases), 2023 (1,480), and this year, which has not ended, there are 1,729 cases.
"The total number of sexual abuse cases in five years is 6,462 cases. And these are the ones being reported. Maybe the number of those cases that are unreported are much higher."
Shuhaily added that based on data, most of the sexual abuse cases occur among the B40 community.
"Many cases involving underage children happen in the B40 community, where two or three cases happen due to a lack of supervision.
"It's not because parents neglect them, but sometimes both parents are working, and only one caregiver is at home at times, then there is fatigue, which leads to a lack of supervision.
"There are also some cases where the victim befriends the perpetrator through social media, and rape happens the first time they meet. That's what I have observed," he said.
Shuhaily said while the perpetrators are dealt with by the law, victims, meanwhile, could seek help and assistance through relevant agencies.
He, however, said more could be done to improve the system.
"The victims may be placed under the care of the Welfare Department. But in some cases, these applications (to the Welfare Department) are not being accepted.
"There was a case where a 12-year-old child was handed back to the family, because the assessment made (by the department) found that the family was capable of taking care of a child.
"Just one year later, the same child returned to the police station with a second rape case.
"So our systems are in place, but sometimes the system defeats the purpose," he added.
Shuhaily said there were also cases of sexual abuse being committed by children as young as five years old.
He said based on the Penal Code, children under 10 cannot be held liable for a crime they committed.
"These children are not considered to have committed a crime, so no legal action can be taken, and, as a result, we (the police) have no record of them," he added.