Suhakam gesa permudah saluran murid lapor penderaan seksual

Suhakam has urged schools to establish trusted reporting channels for students to report sexual abuse, as they are more likely to disclose such incidents in safe environments. Adib Samuri, the Children's Advocate for Suhakam, emphasized that every school should have trained, trusted, and safe personnel for children to approach. Schools must also provide anonymous reporting channels outside the institution, as the accused perpetrator might be a teacher, staff member, or someone with a connection to the school.

Children are more likely to disclose abuse when they feel safe and believe that action will be taken. Building this trust should be a daily effort, not just during annual health checkups. Samuri stressed the need for regular personal interviews with vulnerable groups, such as underprivileged and disadvantaged children in under-resourced schools.

While supporting expanding school health checkups nationwide, he stressed that procedures should be conducted personally, free from fear, stigma, or judgement. The Johor sexual abuse cases, recently exposed during routine school health checks by the Health Ministry team, highlight that school health teams can be a crucial safety net, especially when the abuser is close to children.

However, the broader implementation requires improvements in how the checks are conducted. Section 29A of the Children's Act 2001 allows voluntary reporting by school staff, while Section 27 mandates reporting by medical personnel. The government should investigate whether reporting is also mandatory for certain professionals who frequently interact with children, such as teachers, nurses, and counselors.

However, Samuri stressed that reporting should only be made mandatory when there is a reasonable basis to suspect, and the individual making the report is protected by law. Liability should be limited to intentional or serious failure to act, even if clear warning signs are present. The primary focus should be on protecting children, not creating fear among staff that could lead to unnecessary reports or lack of investigation.

Samuri also criticized the current process of transferring cases between schools, KKM, welfare departments, and police, which he found not uniform. Children should not be moved from one agency to another when adults are at fault. As soon as there is reasonable suspicion of abuse, reporting, safety assessment, medical care, police investigation, and psychological support should be conducted simultaneously.

He also urged practical bodily safety education to be permanently included in the national school curriculum so children can learn boundaries and seek help. Adults must shoulder the responsibility of preventing abuse and creating safe environments.