JUNE 3 — The extent of sexual abuse committed by Richard Huckle over many years in Malaysia, as reported in both local and in the UK media for the last two days, should raise alarm bells among the public to establish better safeguards for children, especially all welfare organisations and programmes that have children as their target group. Had it not been for a chance finding by the Australian police his abuse on poor vulnerable children of various ages would have continued.

It is important that lessons are swiftly learnt from his heinous crimes so that as a society we protect our children better.  We cannot fall into the trap of thinking this was just one depraved foreigner. There have been reports of Malaysians both sexually abusing children and posting and accessing child porn on the internet.

Measures that need to be taken include:

  • Running checks on all people who work or volunteer to work with children — not to assume by a person’s looks, manner, religious credentials or qualifications that they are honourable. Huckle offered to assist vulnerable poor children by running English and Bible classes and came across as helpful. Those who own and/or manage such services, and recruit staff and volunteers need to be more knowledgeable, aware and sensitised to the risks involved.
  • Stricter and clearer code of conducts are put in place for both workers and volunteers dealing with children. Regular supervision is essential to ensure proper conducts and needs of the children are met accordingly.
  • For it to be mandatory for all organisations working with children to formulate, implement and enforce child protection policies. Currently this only has advisory status in the National Child Protection Policy (2009). The Policy encompasses protocols for administration, screening, recruitment, training and child safety (including safe touch) that need to be put in place.
  • Training children — including pre-schoolers — that when people inappropriately touch them to tell a trusted adult. Huckle boasted on the dark web of his relationship with a 3-year-old.
  • Adults to take seriously any complaints from children and know how to report to child protection officers who will investigate.  Too often children who do tell are not believed.
  • For child protection officers – being social workers employed by the government agencies — and police to be adequately resourced and most importantly suitably trained to undertake this work. Our past studies have shown that less than 10% per cent of social worker employed by the Department of Social Welfare as well as the Non-Government sector are professionally trained. Recruitment of trained social workers and competency training for current child protection officers must be reinforced.
  • All the six public universities that offer Bachelor degree in Social Work must improve on the teaching and training on child protection work to all social work students.

As the professional organisation of Social Workers we support the Government’s intentions to introduce a register of child offenders but this alone will not be adequate.  The Government’s intention to enact a Social Workers Bill so all Child Protectors and other critical human service positions across the country are properly trained needs to be expedited. In addition, reforming of the Penal Code so “finger” rape is criminalised —  5 of the 91 charges against Huckle in the UK were for digital penetration

Child sexual abuse — of both boys and girls — is happening and will continue to be hidden unless there is concerted action by all parties and well-resourced systematic child care protection services put in place by every State.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.