PETALING JAYA: Children who fell victim to sexual crimes have taken a disturbing turn, as police data shows these same youngsters are now becoming the perpetrators of such crimes.
Bukit Aman CID Sexual, Women and Children Crime Investigation Division (D11) principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Siti Kamsiah Hassan told The Star that 912 sexual crime cases recorded last year involved suspects below the age of 18.
These included 601 rape cases, 17 cases of outraging modesty, 18 cases of unnatural sex, 23 cases of sexual harassment and three cases of distribution or possession of obscene materials.
Moreover, 20 underage suspects were involved in attempts to use a child for child pornography.
She said the scale of the problem is staggering and the misuse of mobile devices and social media becomes the gateway for children to become perpetrators of sexual crimes.
Such early exposure of children to social media and digital platforms can facilitate both physical and non-physical sexual crimes, such as rape and grooming.
These incidents can occur even with new acquaintances and do not necessarily require the presence of romantic feelings.
Children under the age of 10, who are legally considered incapable of criminal responsibility, are becoming both victims and perpetrators of sexual crimes at the same time and fears that these crimes often go unreported and are only addressed within the affected families, rather than through formal channels.
She also revealed that minors were responsible for 215 cases of physical sexual assault on other children, nine cases of non-physical sexual abuse and 5 instances of child grooming.
In 2022, the number of cases rising sharply as the police recorded 1,006 sexual crimes involving suspects below the age of 18 that year, including 779 rape cases, 21 cases of outraging modesty, eight cases of sexual harassment and five cases of distribution or possession of obscene materials.
“Three underaged suspects were also involved in attempting to produce and make, exchange, sell, access and use a child for child pornography,“ she revealed, adding that there were also 190 physical sexual assault on children cases involving underage perpetrators.
In 2021, police recorded 731 sexual crimes involving suspects below the age of 18, including 552 rape cases, five cases of outraging modesty, eight cases of sexual harassment and two cases of distribution or possession of obscene materials.
That same year, six underage suspects were involved in attempts to use a child for child pornography and there were 154 cases of physical sexual assault, two cases of non-physical sexual assault and two grooming cases involving such suspects.
With the situation keeps worsening every year, Siti Kamsiah reiterates that investigating these cases to understand what motivated the child’s actions is important for early intervention and rehabilitation by authorities and the family.
She warned that if the child’s behaviour goes unreported and the family does not address the issue, the child may come to see it as normal.
