Police Yet To Confirm Suspect's OKU Status In Mosque Sexual Assault Case

SHAH ALAM, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- Police have yet to confirm claims that a local male arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a young girl at a mosque in Batang Kali this morning holds a disabled person's (OKU) card.

Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the suspect was only recently arrested and they were still investigating the veracity of the claims.

"We have not received any information and are still investigating claims from the public that the suspect has an OKU card," he said, commenting on claims raised by some parties regarding the suspect's status at a press conference here today.

Earlier, Hulu Selangor District Police Chief Supt Ahmad Faizal Tahrim was reported to have said that they had arrested a 19-year-old man to assist in the investigation after receiving a report regarding the incident at 8.19 am.

Meanwhile, Hussein, commenting on the case that had also gone viral on social media, said that at the time of the incident, the victim was praying alone in the back row of the women's prayer area at the mosque.

He said the victim's mother, who is also the complainant in the case, informed that she brought her two children to the mosque to perform the Subuh prayer, but only the victim prayed in the back area.

"Following the report made by the woman, the police acted to arrest the suspect at noon today in Batang Kali with the help of the public," he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and the suspect will be brought to the Kuala Kubu Baharu Sessions Court tomorrow to obtain a remand order.

Earlier today, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage circulated on social media showed a male sneaking into the women’s prayer area before hugging a young girl from behind and taking her out of the area.

-- BERNAMA