Fatimah hails setting up of special court for child victims
KUCHING: The establishment of a special court to handle cases of child sexual crime is to provide a conducive and friendly place where children of sexual abuse cases can testify without being hurt a second time by exposing them to the public.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdul lah said the whole set- up would take into consideration the child victims, especial ly their emot ional condition.
“The whole set-up of the special court is child- friendly. It is also chi ld- focussed, taking into consideration and cognisance of the mental and emotional condition of the child victims,” Fatimah told The Borneo Post yesterday.
She further said the establishment of a special court would be strategic in combating child sexual abuse.
“One of the most important strategies (to combat child sexual abuse) is to instil confidence among parents and members of the community to report sexual crimes against children.
“The court is specially set up for the purpose,” said Fatimah.
She hoped following the special court, there would be effective prosecution where perpetrators would be sentenced promptly so as to encourage more complainants to come forward.
Fatimah was responding to the latest development that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be opening the special court at the federal government’s administrative centre in Putrajaya tomorrow.
Bernama had reported that the establishment of the special court is to handle cases of child sexual crime, and proof of the government’s effort to address the problem and provide holistic protection for children.
The setting up of the court is in tandem with the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017 that was passed by Parliament last April.
Statistics by the Social Welfare Department showed that 5,779 cases of sexual abuse on children were recorded from 2010 until 2015 with an average of 963 cases a year, while the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) recorded 2,759 rape cases, 412 cases of incest, 1,423 cases of molest and 422 cases of unnatural sex between 2015 and 2016 involving victims aged 18 and below.
On the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017, Fatimah said though it was passed, there was still no effective date yet.
“If it is a law applicable to (the) whole of Malaysia, it will be applicable to Sarawak. We only adopt the Act if it is applicable only in Peninsular Malaysia upon consent from the state government.
“Matters pertaining to the protection of children fall under concurrent list of Federal Constitution. So the state has the power to do law on the subject matter,” said Fatimah.