PETALING JAYA: More than 50 civil society groups have urged the government to take decisive action against gender-based violence in schools, calling recent cases a wake-up call for systemic reform and accountability.
In a joint statement, the organisations condemned the incidents as “devastating violations of human life, dignity and the safety of our schools”.
They expressed “deep shock, grief and outrage” over the alleged statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl by four schoolboys in Malacca and the killing of a 16-year-old student in another school in Selangor.
“These acts expose deeper societal failures in how our children have been socialised, particularly the normalisation of harmful patriarchal masculinity that has culminated in alleged rape and murder.”
The coalition called for immediate and child-sensitive investigations into the criminal offences and institutional lapses that allowed the alleged attacks to occur.
They urged the Education Ministry to make its findings public, ensure full legal accountability for perpetrators, and provide holistic support for survivors and affected students.
The groups also reminded the public that children in conflict with the law must be treated with dignity under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but said this should not be used to downplay the seriousness of the offences.
“These rights must never be used to minimise the gravity of gender-based violence or silence victim-survivors. Accountability and rehabilitation must go hand in hand with justice and protection.”
They further warned against sensational media reporting, noting that sharing names, images or investigation details without consent violates child protection laws.
The statement was endorsed by the Women’s Centre for Change, Women’s Aid Organisation, Sisters in Islam, Tenaganita, Suaram, Hakam and Aliran, among others.
The call comes amid renewed concern over school safety following the Zara Qairina bullying case and criticism of the Education Ministry for describing rape as “sexual misconduct” in official documents.
