Child sexual cases increase in Sabah
TAWAU: There has been an increase in reported sexual abuse cases involving children in Sabah from 14 in 2010 to 186 in 2016, the Education Bureau of the Welfare Association of Wives of Sabah Elected Representatives (Bakisa) disclosed yesterday.
Its bureau chairperson, Datin Seri Panglima Nuraini Habib Kadir, said the government is seriously concerned about sexual misconduct cases involving children and many awareness as well as practical programmes had been carried out by the government and nongovernmental organisations to increase awareness and knowledge among the community.
Nuraini, who is also the wife of Sabah State Assembly Speaker Datuk Syed Abas Syed Ali, strongly urged the community to not compromise with sexual misconduct cases involving children and immediately report them to the relevant authorities.
She was speaking while officiating at the opening ceremony of a forum themed ‘Stop Sexual Crimes against Children’ held a hotel here yesterday morning which attracted 110 participants. The forum was organised by the Sabah Taska Association of Tawau in conjunction with the 2017 Welfare Month.
Nuraini reiterated that children were valuable assets to the country as its future leaders. Therefore, their protection was a shared responsibility among the people of various levels.
She further stressed that all children must be nurtured in a harmonious environment where they can be well cared for and protected by the adults’ moral commitment.
The government has also taken drastic action to protect children by amending the Children Act 2001 (Amendment) 2016 and the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017, she pointed out.
The forum will also be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Keningau, Beaufort and Kudat throughout the Welfare Month. Also present were the president of the Sabah Taska Association of Tawau, Serena Wong, and organising chairperson Helen Lok.