How Do You Help A Child Who Is Sexually Abused?

• Stay calm and confident.
• Believe the child and let them know it. Children rarely lie about sexual abuse.
• Listen but do not pressure for information.
• Be patient and use language that the child understands.
• Allow expressions of feelings.
• Comfort and reassure the child that it is not their fault.
• Do not try to confront the abuser yourself.
• Protect the child from further abuse.
• Get medical attention at any government hospitals for the child immediately.
• Report to the social welfare department or police in your district
• Get the child to resume their daily routine.
• Continue support and reassurance.

Reporting Child Sexual Abuse

Getting Help from the Police 

With the passing of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, it is mandatory to lodge a police report on any child sexual abuse cases, otherwise may be liable for punishment.

The role of the police is to investigate the complaint and collect evidence for the prosecution of the suspect.

1. An adult has to accompany the child who has been abused or suspected of being abused will to the police station to lodge a police report. The police report can be made in any police station, regardless where the incident occurred. The adult can be the mother/ father/guardian or any trusted adult (relative, teacher) or welfare officer.
2. For the police report, below are the information needed:
   
   • When: When did it occur? – Date and time of the incident/s
   • Where: Where did it happen?  – Location of the incident/s
   • What and How: What was the incident and how did it happen and how many times it happened? –  Details of the incident/s
   • Who: Who was involved and who was the alleged abuser?
   • Effect: What’s the effect on the child after the incident? Bruises, injury, etc.
   • Why: Why is the report being lodged? For protection against the abuser, for police to take action, etc.
3. An Investigating Officer (IO) from the Sexual, Women, and Child Investigations (D11) Unit of the District Police Station will then be assigned to take on the case for further investigation, which includes taking statements from the complainant and taking the child concerned to the Emergency Department of the government hospital.
4. At the Emergency Department of the hospital government, the child will be medically examined at a private room called the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) room with the IO present. The IO will then conduct further investigation based on the police report (i.e. taking statements from everyone involved including the suspect, go to the location to collect more evidences, etc)
5. The suspect can be held in remand while the investigation takes place.
6. The IO will then submit the investigation outcomes to the State Prosecution Office which will then decide whether to charge the suspect for the crime committed. If there is sufficient evidence, the suspect will be charged in court. Otherwise, the suspect will be released.
7. For children unable to explain the abuse, a Child Interview Centre (CIC) will be arranged by the IO. The CIC offers a child-friendly space where abuse victims can safely share their story during the investigation.

Getting Help from the Government Hospital

1. You can bring the child straight registry counter at the Emergency Department of any government hospital, without having going to the police station.
2. You need to make a police report at the police counter at the hospital before any medical examination conducted on the child.
3. The child will be taken to the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC), a special room for medical attention and examination. Initial treatment will be given for any bruising or injuries.
4. The SCAN (Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect) Team* from the hospital will examine the child. Examination, blood taking, and all specimen collections will be done in the OSCC. The collected specimens will be handed over to the police for investigation. After the examination at OSCC, the child will be admitted to the paediatric or gynaecological ward.
5. The examination report will be sent to the ward doctor for follow-up. The ward doctor will refer the child to the medical social worker and child psychiatrist for counselling. The child also will be referred to the Social Welfare Department and NGOs. While the child is hospitalised, they receive medical attention and counselling. When the child is well and can go home, the district welfare officer is responsible for ensuring that the child is placed in a safe home if the alleged perpetrator is in the same house.

*Every government hospital has a Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Team which oversees child sexual abuse cases. It comprises of paediatricians, gynaecologists, medical social workers, psychiatrists, as well as, doctors and nurses from the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) of the Emergency Department.

Getting Help from the Social Welfare Department

You can report the case to the Social Welfare Department. The Child Protector (Pegawai Pelindung Kanak-kanak) at the Social Welfare Department ensures the safety and well-being of the child.

1. If the child abuse case is reported at the Social Welfare Department, after receiving the report, the child will be brought to the OSCC at the Emergency Department of the government hospital by the Child Protector for medical attention. The Child Protector or the child’s guardian will need to make a police report first at the police counter.
2. The child may then be admitted in the hospital for medical examination. After the child is discharged from the hospital, the Child Protector, with a Court Order, can conduct home visits to ensure the child’s safety and also provide counselling for the child and the parents, if necessary.

How Can I Prevent Child Sexual Abuse?

Protect your child

Be careful whom you leave your child with and where you leave them. Abusers are mostly family members and people they know and less likely to be strangers.

It is a myth to think that only strangers sexually abuse children. In fact, anyone who has access to children can abuse them. In 90% of reported cases, the offender is someone known to the child. Teach your child to recognise abuse and quickly tell a trusted adult, such as parents, teachers – about the incident.

Teach your child about body safety

Children should be taught to love and respect their own bodies, and that there are certain rules regarding what adults can do to them. It is also important to emphasise that there are right and wrong ways of touching. Children are able to judge whether something is right or wrong by trusting their feelings and listening to their feelings. Remind the children of the following sentences:

It’s my body. My body is special and important. I need to love and care for it.

You could teach your child that what is covered by their underwear is called private parts and that they belong only to them and should not be touched by just anybody or without their permission. Emphasise that private parts are touched only for the purpose of hygiene and also medical reasons, for instance by a doctor.

Appropriate vocabulary for parts of the body

Use proper anatomical words like penis, vagina, and breasts rather than judgmental words like “pek-pek” (vagina) and “ku-ku” (penis). It’s important to use the correct words for the body parts because if someone touches their private parts they can tell you what happened.

Teach your child to listen to their inner voice

Children can learn to trust their feelings about people and touches and that there is a voice within them (intuition) which will instinctively tell them when something is wrong. When a touch makes a child feel confused and uncomfortable, that is their inner voice (intuition) telling them that the touch is bad. Teach your child to trust that inner voice.

Teach your child to say “NO!”

Remind the children that they have a right to their bodies. And if anyone touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, they must say “NO!”.  Even if the person touching them is someone they love, trust and respect such as their fathers, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or any adults. Encourage them to tell a trusted adult of a friend who can help them whenever they feel uncomfortable of confused about a touch.

Teach your child not to keep any secrets

Teach the children about good secrets and bad secrets. Often, abusers tell children that “this is a secret between you and me.” This causes guilty feelings and as such they will be afraid to reveal the abuse. Tell them they are right to tell and that they do not need to keep bad secrets that make them feel frightened or uncomfortable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who can report a child sexual abuse case?
Any person who has knowledge of, or a suspicion that, a child is sexually abused can lodge a police report.

Can the complainant of a child sexual abuse case be sued for defamation or “saman malu”?
The complainants of any child sexual abuse cases are protected under the Child Act 2001 from any liability for defamation.

If a child discloses being sexually abused a long time ago, can we still lodge a report?
You can still lodge a report for an incident that happened in the past or a long time ago. The police will still investigate the case to gather evidence.  If there is enough evidence, further action will be taken.

Is it mandatory to report any child sexual abuse cases?
Yes. According to the Child Act 2001, any person who believes that a child is sexually abused has a duty to inform the Social Welfare Department. According to the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, you are liable to a maximum fine of RM5,000 for failing to give information to the police for any child sexual abuse case.

Can a complainant of a child sexual abuse case withdraw the police report?
Once a police report is lodged, the police will open an Investigation Paper (IP) and investigate the case. The police will submit the IP to the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) to see whether the perpetrator will be charged or not. If the complainant wants to withdraw the report, they have to inform the police and the DPP. The DPP has the power to decide whether to pursue the case even though the complainant withdraws the report.

If a father shows pornography to his children, is it an offence?
Yes, it is an offence. Any adult who shows pornography to a child is deemed to be committing is an offence under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 of committing non-physical sexual assault on a child.

Which department in the hospital will treat a suspected child sexual abuse victim?
Any suspected child sexual abuse victim will be medically examined and treated at the Emergency Department at main government hospitals in a special room called the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC). OSCC is open 24 hours a day and caters to all cases pertaining to domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect.

Does the Child Act 2001 apply to both Malaysians and non-Malaysians?
The Child Act 2001 applies to all children residing in Malaysia.

If penetration takes place without ejaculation, is it considered rape?
Penetration is sufficient to constitute the sexual intercourse necessary for the offence of rape.

What is grooming?
Grooming is a term that describes the process of an adult trying to get close to another person with sexual intention by gaining the trust of the child, friend or family members through his actions and intentions. Grooming can take place both in reality and online. In reality, it can take place at a house, neighbourhood, school, etc. Online, the abuser tries to befriend or pretends to be a friend to their potential victim and form a trusted relationship.

Why do children not tell their parents immediately about the abuse?
There are many reasons why a child does not immediately disclose the abuse to their parents. Often times, children are confused and might not be able to differentiate between being abused, groomed, and loved. Besides, the abuser would have convinced the child to keep it as a secret and if they tell, no one would believe them. Sometimes, the abuser is also someone who is known and a trusted person to the parents.

Why does a child sexually abuse another child?
The situation of a child sexually abusing another child does not carry an obvious answer and might be equally complicated to understand. In some cases, it could have been that the child abuser was once sexually abused or had been exposed to sexual acts and materials. This could lead them to curiosity or to the practice of sexual acts during a young age.

Is it considered a criminal offence if sexual abuse happens between young children?
According to the law, it is not an offence if the child abuser is under 10 years old. However, if the child offender is between 10 to 12 years old and if they have attained sufficient maturity of understanding to judge the consequences of his conduct, then the offender can be charged.

Sometimes young children do not have any bad intention of sexual exploitation, they may just want to explore the body parts of the other child of the opposite sex.  Hence, it is very important to teach your children about good touch and bad touch, respect and setting personal boundaries.

What can parents do if they find out their children watch pornography by themselves?
The parents need to find out the reason why their children watch pornography, whether out of curiosity, peer influence, pornography addiction, etc.  If the children continue watching pornography, it is important that the parents send them for counselling.

Check out books, posters & pamphlets and videos on Child Sexual Abuse.

Back to Child Sexual Abuse page.