JOHOR has the highest number of statutory rape cases recorded in the country since 2010, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim said in Parliament today.

She said of the 13,272 statutory rape cases reported over the last seven years, 2,089 were recorded in Johor.

Rohani said statutory rapes made up 59.7% of sexual crimes committed against children.

“This is followed by molest at 6,014 cases, (27.04%), incest at 1,766 (8.07%),  and unnatural sex at 1,152 (5.18%),” she said in reply to question by Ampang PKR MP Zuraidah.

Rohani said the most number of incest cases were recorded in Sabah, with 263 cases, while Selangor reported the highest number of unnatural sex and molestation against children, with 235 cases and 1,052 cases respectively.

For non-sexual crime against children, such as physical abuse, Rohani said there were 2,244 cases reported since 2010.

Rohani said the ministry had taken several measures to tackle the issues, including amending the Child Act 2016 and introducing the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

“We have also set up a special court to speed up the trial of child sex crimes in the country, which was launched on June 22 and the first case heard was on July 4,” she said.

Among the initiatives introduced by the ministry to educate and assist victims are advocacy campaigns, premarital courses, parenting courses, safe houses for child victims and a childcare line.

Rohani said the special court handling child sex crime cases would also be formed in the other 13 states, with those that have a high number of such cases to be prioritised. – July 27, 2017.