KUALA LUMPUR – Unrestricted access to sexual and pornographic content online is an ever-increasing concern as minors are picking up harmful behaviours, which often make them vulnerable to sexual abuse and rape.
“There has been a steady increase in rape cases in Malaysia over the years. Specifically, cases involving underaged children are on the rise, with more reported each year.
“These are just the cases that are reported (and) might be the tip of the iceberg (corresponding with) an increase in the number of social media users,” Bukit Aman criminal investigation department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said at the sidelines of the 2024 International Regulatory Conference (IRC) here today.
Earlier, speaking as a panellist at the session on tackling online harm, Shuhaily said police have uncovered that some boys as young as five years old are sexually active.
Asserting that such behaviour is learned from content consumed online, he shared a case last year where a 9-year-old girl was gang-raped by two other boys around her age.
While the case was investigated as statutory rape, Shuhaily said police found the girl thought having sex was an appropriate way to repay debt.
“Based on our investigation, the girl thought it was ok to have sex with the boys as she broke a friend’s eraser as she didn’t have money to replace it.”
He added, however, that charges were not pressed against the two suspects, aged 9 and 10, as their age prevented them from being held criminally liable.
Shuhaily also urged social media platforms and relevant regulators to play their role in curbing the spread of sexual and pornographic materials, especially among minors.
Organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the two-day IRC conference features international speakers who are here to share insights and engage in dialogues on regulatory frameworks and emerging technologies.
The panel on tackling online harm was moderated by MCMC commission member Derek Fernandez.
Other panellists were Unicef Malaysia chief of child protection Saskia Blume, CelcomDigi CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi, and Cambodia’s director of ICT policy at the Post and Telecommunications Ministry Sodany Tan.
In April, police said the increased use of social media and online messaging platforms by minors could be linked to a spike in rape cases involving children.
Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11) principal assistant director Siti Kamsiah Hassan said investigations into underage rape indicate many victims met perpetrators through social media.
In 2021, police recorded 1,299 rape cases. The grim figure rose to 1,388 in 2022 and 1,590 the following year.
Gang rape involving underage victims also increased from 61 cases in 2021 to 103 cases in 2022 and 104 cases last year.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil previously said social media platforms TikTok and Meta, which own Instagram and Facebook, have pledged their commitment to ensure online safety measures for children under 13. – May 6, 2024