Malaysia launches comprehensive guidelines for handling child sexual offence cases with trauma-informed approach and child-friendly procedures.
PUTRAJAYA: The government and judiciary have launched comprehensive special guidelines to enhance the handling of child sexual offence cases.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said described the guidelines as representing not just technical improvement but a holistic justice-driven approach that is trauma-informed.
She stated that all aspects have been reviewed to ensure practices align with current challenges, increasing new cases, and recent legal developments.
Azalina added that this initiative reflects Malaysia’s commitment under the Convention on the Rights of the Child which upholds every child’s right to protection from abuse and exploitation.
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She noted that the government enacted the Evidence of Child Witness Act along with several other laws on March 3 to ensure legal system consistency and reinforce protections for child witnesses.
The guidelines focus on four key components including ethical early reporting and investigation to minimise trauma for victims.
They also include child-friendly court procedures with video recordings and live links alongside appointed witness supporters or legal companions for victims.
Continuous psychosocial support and post-trial rehabilitation form another crucial component of the new guidelines.
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Azalina confirmed the guidelines include training for all relevant stakeholders like investigating officers, prosecutors, judges, welfare officers, and healthcare professionals.
She explained that while not legally binding yet, these guidelines provide a vital framework for coordinating efforts across agencies.
The guidelines lay the groundwork for their potential gazettement as mandatory procedures in the future.
Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim emphasised the judiciary recognises the importance of comprehensive guidelines for handling child cases.
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She stated these guidelines ensure every case involving children receives utmost sensitivity, consistency, and effectiveness.
Hasnah added that the justice process should not exacerbate victim trauma but create recovery pathways instead.
She revealed sexual offences against children have increasingly attracted public attention with statistics showing notable rises in court cases.
These increasing cases include molestation, rape, and online sexual exploitation according to the Chief Judge.
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Implementation of these guidelines is expected to bolster public confidence in all parties’ commitment to protect children.
Azalina separately commented that authorities are stepping up monitoring of the e-wallet ecosystem for suspicious transactions.
This monitoring aims to identify transactions associated with distribution of illicit content.
She was responding to recent disclosures by Inspector-General of Police regarding Operation Pedo involving a 17-year-old student.
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The teenager reportedly earned 76,000 ringgit over nine months from online sale of child exploitation materials.
Mohd Khalid revealed the suspect ran a Telegram group selling content sourced from Tumblr for up to 50 ringgit per video.
Payments were received through e-wallets and QR code-based bank transfers according to police findings.
Azalina noted that while the justice system provides courts and guidelines, prevention must start at home.
She expressed shock that a child was involved in such criminal activities despite uncertain circumstances. – Bernama
