Take action against sexual extortion

Siti Kamsiah assures that details of reports lodged with her division are kept strictly confidential. —AZMAN GHANI/The Star

A HUGE barrier faced by victims of online sexual extortion is the feeling of embarrassment and shame which stops them from seeking help.

However, Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division Assistant Direct Asst Comm Siti Kamsiah Hassan says that not coming forward may cause more harm in the long term.

“There will be feelings of embarrassment when it comes to cases involving nude or sexual images and footage. But if a victim is afraid to take action, he or she will continue to be controlled by the suspect and will not be able to resolve the problem,” says the head of D11, the police unit handling sexual crimes and matters relating to women and children.

The first and most important step to take is to find a trusted person to support you through the ordeal.

“The victim should come forward or share their predicament with someone they trust. Getting support is important because there have been cases where victims have kept everything to themselves. And when they are no longer able to handle the situation, it could lead to suicidal thoughts,” she cautions.

This is especially important if the victim is a child.

“Many children are not able to handle situations of extortion and fear going to their family members for help. They face severe stress and are not able to solve this problem themselves.

“Parents must keep themselves aware of their children’s online activities and know their children’s friends. And they should trust and support their children when their children come to them for help,” she says.

The D11 has female officers and also psychologists in every district’s contingent. The psychology officers are tasked with providing mental and emotional support to targets.

“This emotional support is important because many will be facing trauma and will face difficulty explaining what they went through,” says Siti Kamsiah. Investigations are kept discreet

Siti Kamsiah reassures the public that D11 is specially trained to handle sensitive situations and will protect the identity of the victim.

“D11 is a unit specifically assigned to handle cases related to both physical and non-physical sexual assault regardless of gender.

“However, a majority of our officers are women as many of the victims are also women. Sometimes, victims may experience trauma when they have to deal with a man regarding their case, so we try to reduce that trauma,” she explains.

D11 maintains a high level of discretion, says Siti Kamsiah. As far as possible, its officers will not be in uniform but will work in plainclothes when conducting an investigation so as not to alert the public or nosy neighbours about an ongoing case.

“As much as we can, we do not let others know that someone has become the victim of a sexual crime. We also do not reveal details about the cases that we are investigating. Our investigations are private and confidential. We know that our work involves trauma and the dignity of others.”

There is no statute of limitations for sexual crimes and a victim may still lodge a report even if the crime was committed years ago. However, Siti Kamsiah advises a report should be lodged as soon as possible.

“They can make a police report at any time and anywhere but it is best to take immediate action after the crime so that evidence is not deleted or tampered with.”

And there is still room for recourse even if the offender is located overseas: “We have our overseas counterparts. We work with Interpol and other international agencies and police departments.”

Under the Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017, even if a suspect has committed the crime overseas, the Malaysian police can still carry out investigations and make arrests as long as the suspect is a Malaysian citizen.

In many cases the D11 handles, a victim meets the suspect online and later engages in intimate activities that are recorded: “It is now becoming a trend to record trysts but this causes the victim to be tied to the suspect,” she points out, adding that, “My advice to the public is to avoid being in a situation where you can be manipulated by someone. The person will be able to control and exploit you when they have such footage or images.”

Siti Kamsiah explains that the police has a special cyber forensic division that investigates digital evidence, so she also advices targets to preserve all evidence of extortion.

“Save and take screenshots of conversations, images and any threats made by the suspect so that they can be used during investigations and prosecution.

“Do not give in to the culprit’s demands. As long as you follow their instructions, you are under their control. Go to the authorities and law enforcement agencies for help. You have to break the chain.”