Gerakan Wanita calls for permanent end to child marriages

PETALING JAYA: Gerakan Wanita has hailed the proposed Child Sexual Crime Bill, but at the same time called for the Government to review relevant laws to end child marriages permanently.

Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe (pic) said the move is ending child marriages is a necessity, so that no child offenders could escape punishment by marrying the victims.

"With a rapid rise in sex offences against children over the darker side of the Internet and social media, I believe that this is a timely effort by the government to come out with up-to-date, stronger measures to tackle legal inadequacies.

"Gerakan Wanita supports the tabling of Child Sexual Crime Bill and urges the government to consider reviewing relevant laws to end child marriage permanently leaving no means for a child sex offender to escape punishment by marrying the victim, this issue has to be addressed collectively as part of this governmental initiative,” she said.

Tan said children are prone to abuse of trust by any member of the community including their own family members.

"Hence, it is imperative that the newly proposed law covers all legal perspectives to address the issue of child sexual abuse comprehensively and effectively," she said.

It was reported that the first draft of the Child Sexual Crime Bill is ready and expected to be presented to Cabinet for policy drafting by next week.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, who chaired the task force for sexual crimes against children, said the Bill would incorporate a change in the definition of sexual crime to include crimes committed online.

If passed, the Bill would be an extension to the Child Act (Amendment) 2016 and the Penal Code.