Experts: Paedophiles need psychological help and monitoring

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian student convicted in Britain for possession of child pornography should get psychological help and be monitored, mental health experts say.

Malaysian Mental Health Association deputy president Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj said only 15% of paedophiles acted on their desires and that most chose to hide their condition and suffered in silence.

“It is not possible to fully cure a person with the condition, but we can teach them techniques to control their impulses,” he said.

Commenting on the case of Nur Fitri Azmeer Nordin, who had more than 30,000 images and videos of “extreme” child pornography in his possession, Dr Andrew said it was typical for most paedophiles to meticulously archive pictures and videos of sexual activities that excited them.

“In this case, we need to note that there was no evidence of him acting on his impulses.

“Not all paedophiles molest children. Something has to be done to help him control his impulses.”

He said most paedophiles were introverts and suffered from anxiety disorders, and may find the company of children less threatening.

“There is a large percentage of them who either attempt or commit suicide. They tend to suffer in silence as most know that their desires are not acceptable,” he said.

He added that as Nur Fitri had broken the law of a country, he will have to serve his sentence and pay the price, but help should be given if he is willing to be rehabilitated.

“Just as with people who have problems with addiction, we teach the patients to avoid situations that could trigger their desires.

“Same principles are used. If he is committed to rehabilitation, we can help him with the support of family and friends.”

He admitted it would be an uphill task, but said it could be attempted.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Abdul Kadir Abu Bakar agreed that Nur Fitri fit the characteristics of a paedophile, but said rehabilitation would be a very difficult task.

“Most countries opt to monitor such offenders, so long as they can give an appearance of stability where they do not approach ­children, it is fine,” he said.

He said some might undergo some sort of spiritual healing, but it would usually fall on law enforcement to monitor paedophiles.

“Usually, these offenders will have to show stability by not exploring their sexual fantasies, avoiding schools and websites related to child pornography,” he said.

Dr Abdul Kadir said some countries had a sex offenders registry and used tracking bracelets, which would alert the authorities if an offender was near “high-risk areas” such as schools and kindergartens.

“Some believe in human rights and that the offenders should be helped. But as a father, I would not want him around,” he said, adding monitoring was the key.