THERE is a need to increase the number of child protection officers in the social welfare department to handle cases of child abuse and neglect, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Mohd Harun. 

She said there was an imbalanced ratio of child protection officers to children.  

“The current ratio is one child protection officer for 50 to 100 children. Our target is one child protection officer for 30 to 35 children nationwide,” she said. 

She explained that the role of the child protection officer in rescuing and guaranteeing the well-being of children who were victims of abuse needed strengthening, considering that cases of abuse and neglect were becoming more complex. 

She added that these officers also prepared social reports for use by the courts in determining where abused children would be placed and who would look after them.  

Rina said this while visiting two children—suspected of being abused by their aunt and uncle—at the Ampang Hospital today. 

Two days ago, the two children, aged eight and six, were reportedly rescued by the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department when one of them attempted to escape through a window on the fourth floor of a building. 

According to Rina, the two children were recuperating and looked happier. 

The minister expressed gratitude to those who reported the child’s attempt to jump from a condominium unit, which eventually revealed the abuse they suffered. 

She added that the community’s concern for each other’s well-being should be emulated by all to deal with such cases. 

“I would also like to ask teachers to pay attention to their students. When a child goes to school, if there are bruises and so on, that could be a sign for the teacher to take further action, 

“This is the role of all levels of society to look after each other as Keluarga Malaysia,” she said. – Bernama, September 18, 2022.