KUALA LUMPUR – The number of cases of statutory rape involving teenagers aged 16 and below has increased in recent years and is becoming increasingly worrying.
Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain has said that such acts, despite mutual “consent” between those involved, are classified as rape as they involve underage victims.
“Based on Royal Malaysia Police records, there was an increase of 202 cases or 11.8% last year, compared with 2022,” he said in an interview recently.
He expressed particular concern that most of these cases involved low-income households and that the lack of parental supervision, in addition to easy access to pornography online, had contributed to the occurrence of such crimes.
In this context, he emphasised the role of parents, who must supervise their children and be tech-savvy to control internet use and prevent their children from accessing inappropriate websites.
The evolving landscape of borderless communication and easy accessibility has a profound impact on children, as they can access prohibited content without adequate control, and consequently engage in immoral activities.
“In the past, pornographic material was hard to find, but now it’s all up for grabs; all this material is easily accessible on smartphones, regardless of age,” he said.
He pointed out that parents’ lack of knowledge and control over the content codes of the websites visited by their children has negative consequences, especially allowing children as young as five to access the internet under the guise of educational material.
Shuhaily said that police could not do this alone, as it required the cooperation of all parties, including family institutions, educational institutions and even policymakers, to tackle this problem together.
“A good policy will produce a good society,” he said. – February 27, 2024