KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has not been asked just yet to assist in the handling of British paedophile Richard Huckle’s Malaysian victims, despite reports this week that 23 have been identified by the police.

A senior official told the New Straits Times that if the police do not work with the ministry, its experts could not provide the “all-critical counselling” the victims need.

“We are waiting for the police to end their probe. Our minister had said that the ministry would provide counselling after the victims had been identified,” the senior official was quoted telling the daily.

Huckle was on Monday sentenced to life in prison by a London court for abusing 23 Malaysian and Cambodian babies and children over almost a decade.

Reuters reported that Huckle, 30, was given 22 life sentences and would serve at least 23 years behind bars for his crimes against impoverished victims aged six months to 11 years.

The British media reported recently that Huckle might have abused up to 200 children between 2006 and 2014.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim on Monday night told Bernama that discussions with UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) have been initiated and that 23 children have so far been identified as victims.

He added that the police were intensifying investigations on the background of these victims and were also in the process of identifying the places that Huckle had patronised during his eight-year stay in Malaysia.