ARAU: Sexual crime cases in Perlis increased by 31 per cent to 51 cases in 2024 from 39 the previous year, said state police chief Datuk Muhammad Abdul Halim.
He said 98 per cent of the cases involved consensual acts between suspects and underage victims.
“More alarmingly, there were schoolgirls aged between 12 and 16 who became pregnant and gave birth at a very young age,” he told a press conference after closing the state-level Crime Awareness Day programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Syed Hussein here today.
Muhammad said the misuse of social media platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook and Telegram was a key factor, as some teenagers use them to find partners and engage in romantic relationships.
“These brief connections led to sexual activities between the victims and suspects and eventually, sexual crime offences,” he said.
Meanwhile, Muhammad said six school bullying cases were reported last year, down from nine cases in 2023, mostly triggered by misunderstandings and dissatisfaction among students, which led to fights.
To curb such crimes, he said police have introduced several initiatives, including the child awareness campaign at kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and encouraging the public to share information.
