Threats Against Children: Drastic Change In Landscape; Close Individuals Main Perpetrators

By Mohd Firdaus Md Saisi

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- The landscape of threats against children in this country has changed drastically, with more than 80 per cent of sexual crime cases detected involving suspects known to or trusted by the victims.

Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division D11 principal assistant director SAC Siti Kamsiah Hassan said that the biggest threat now no longer comes from unknown individuals, but rather from close circles such as family members, teachers, carers and other close individuals.

She said that society needs to shift its focus from the myth of stranger danger to a closer threat, which is from a trusted person (Trusted Person Danger).

"The deep trust factor and the continuous access given to the perpetrators often become the main reasons for this exploitation to occur unnoticed," she told Bernama recently.

Siti Kamsiah revealed that this year, her department had investigated a case involving a teacher believed to have committed sexual abuse against several primary school students, in addition to a similar trend being detected in several other states.

She said the increase in cases involving those close to children, including educators, in recent times has also raised concerns about the safety of children in schools because these individuals are supposed to be protectors.

She said that grooming by that group usually occurs over a long period and involves more than one victim due to the predator's easy access to children.

"Investigations involving cases like this usually involve more than one victim in a single case; there are cases where the investigation found that the perpetrator kept various types of items and gifts to approach the victims," she said.

More complicated, Siti Kamsiah said is that there are parents who withdraw police reports on the grounds of wanting to protect the victim's future, whereas this action only makes the perpetrator feel 'invulnerable' and continues to seek other victims.

In addition to physical threats, she revealed a significant increase in sexual crimes in the digital space through popular platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Telegram and online gaming applications.

She shared the case of a 10-year-old girl who, through social media, handed over dozens of pornographic images and videos to a virtual suspect, before the materials were used as weapons to blackmail the victim.

Following the dual-source threat, Siti Kamsiah urged parents to master the digital "Emergency Assistance" steps to prevent important evidence from being destroyed before an official report is made.

"The immediate steps that must be taken are to remain calm and not delete any content, take a screenshot of the message or the suspect's profile, note down the phone number or account link involved, and not negotiate with the perpetrator, but instead cut off communication without deleting any digital traces," she said.

Parents are also reminded not to format or reset the victim's smartphone, and they should immediately file a police report to enable prompt tracking actions.

Siti Kamsiah assured that D11 Division practices a Victim-Centred Approach that strictly protects the confidentiality of the victim's identity while also providing emotional support services.

She also said that the process of recording statements for children will use the special facilities of the Child Interview Centre (CIC) and Video Recorded Interview (VRI) to reduce the impact of trauma on the victims.

"Child protection requires the active involvement of all layers of society, and victims or their families are urged not to be afraid to come forward and report immediately to prevent the spread of such exploitation cases," she added.

-- BERNAMA