SERDANG: Sexual crime cases involving underage children within the state have seen a rise in the last four months, says the Selangor police chief.
Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, at the launch of the Seri Kembangan police station hall Monday (May 15), said the police investigated 155 cases in the last four months.
Cases reported included statutory rape, of which Comm Hussein said that at least 33 suspects were still students themselves.
While he did not have exact statistics compared to last year, Comm Hussein said that the number of cases was concerning.
A reason for the high numbers, he said, could be due to poor knowledge of the law.
“We have found for cases where both 'suka sama suka' (both sides like each other), it is possible that suspects did not know that statutory rape is a big offence.
"So the poor understanding of the country’s laws can contribute to cases such as these,” he said, adding that the youngest victims reported were around 12 to 13 years old.
Reports were then lodged by the victims' parents, guardians or teachers when they found out.
He urged parents to be more mindful of their children’s activities, especially online.
In an unrelated matter, a total of seven people have had their statements recorded in connection with a bullying incident in Ampang Jaya.
“This includes witnesses as well. Once the investigation has concluded, we will forward the investigation paper to the public prosecutor for further action,” he said.
He added that the police will forward the investigation papers once the final medical report on the victim has been completed.
On May 8, a secondary school student from SMK Taman Melawati was allegedly beaten by his seniors, leading to injuries to the jaw, forehead and neck.
The incident was recorded and uploaded onto social media sites, leading to condemnation from the public.
