SERDANG – Sexual harassment cases involving children show a worrying trend with 35 cases reported last year, according to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
She said the number of cases does not reflect the actual situation as there are many unreported cases due to various factors.
“Some parents may feel ashamed to report while children do not know how to report,” she said at a press conference after launching the Selangor-level ‘Jerayawara Kasih KPWKM@Advokasi Antigangguan Seksual’, an anti-sexual harassment advocacy roadshow today.
Nancy said the issue of sexual harassment can cause trauma to children and have long-term effects, especially when the perpetrators are close relations such as one’s father or brother.
“We don’t want these kinds of cases to become the norm because if they are disturbed from childhood, they might think that this is normal human behaviour,” she said.
According to statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), a total of 378 adult sexual harassment cases were reported in 2020, and the number of cases rose to 506 in 2021.
Nancy said there are still many people who are afraid to report sexual harassment due to shame and fear.
She said the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) is ready to assist victims in the form of counselling and psychological services, but victims are advised to also lodge a police report.
“Counselling alone is not enough, action must also be taken,” she said.
The advocacy programme educates and provides information to the community about sexual harassment. It also aims to raise awareness so that the culture of normalising sexual harassment is eliminated. – August 3, 2023