KUALA LUMPUR: Rape cases involving underage girls have increased over the last three years and police believe most of it is connected to grooming via social media and chat applications like WhatsApp.
Bukit Aman’s Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Siti Kamsiah Hassan said most victims told police that they met the perpetrators through social media.
“The majority of underage girls who became victims of rape told investigating officers that they knew the perpetrators through social media... before meeting them in person.
“This shows that these girls have undergone the grooming phase with greetings of ‘hi’ and other words of praise, which led to the sending of nude photos by the girls. This is followed by the meeting phase, which results in these girls being raped, including by gangs,” she told Bernama.
Police statistics show that 1,299 rape cases involving underage girls were reported in 2021, which increased to 1,388 in 2022 and 1,590 in 2023.
Gang rapes involving underage girls are also on an upward trend with 61 cases reported in 2021, 103 in 2022 and 104 in 2023.
SAC Siti Kamsiah said the role of parents is crucial in tackling the grooming issue.
“Instil in children the need to set boundaries when socialising in the cyberworld,” the senior cop said.
She advised parents to monitor the online activities of their children.
