KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The proposed Child Sexual Crimes Bill will include the obligation for third parties to report suspected child sexual abuse cases, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, in an interview with The Star’s R.AGE, said it could help in tackling cases that involved trusted perpetrators.
“What do you do when the abuser is someone within the victim’s immediate circle?
“The worst thing is that most of the time, these cases involving trusted perpetrators tend to be repeat cases,” she was quoted as saying.
The Bill is aimed to extend beyond the current Penal Code and Child Act 2001 (for cases of child sexual crimes). Currently, only immediate family members, medical professionals and child care providers have a duty to report such cases.
Azalina, who is also the head of the sexual crimes task force that drafted the Bill, said she hoped it could be finalised and tabled in the current Parliament meeting.
