{
  "id": 12031327,
  "title": "Suhakam gesa permudah saluran murid lapor penderaan seksual",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/suhakam-gesa-permudah-saluran-murid-lapor-penderaan-seksual-12031327",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/10/05/suhakam-gesa-permudah-saluran-murid-lapor-penderaan-seksual"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Suhakam urges schools to establish trusted reporting channels for students to report sexual abuse, as they are more likely to disclose such incidents in a safe environment. Adib Samuri, the Children's Advocate of Malaysia's Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), emphasized that each school should have trained, reliable, and safe staff members for students to approach. Schools also need to provide an external reporting channel outside the institution, in case the accused individual is a teacher, staff member, or someone with a connection to the school. Children are more likely to disclose sexual abuse when they feel safe and believe action will be taken. Building this trust should be done daily, not just during annual health checks. He also stressed the need for periodic personal interviews with vulnerable groups, especially low-income and disadvantaged school children. The recommendation follows two long-standing sexual abuse cases in Johor that were only revealed during a routine school health check by the Health Ministry's team. While supporting expanding health checks to schools nationwide, he insisted that the procedure should be conducted personally, without fear, stigma, or judgment. The Johor cases show that school health teams can be a vital safety net, especially when the perpetrator is close to the child, but broader improvements are needed to enhance the way checks are carried out. He noted that Section 29A of the Children's Act 2001 allows voluntary reporting by school staff, while Section 27 obliges medical personnel to report. The government should investigate whether reporting is also mandatory for certain professional groups regularly dealing with children, including teachers, nurses, and counselors. However, he stressed that reporting should only be mandatory when there is reasonable grounds to suspect, as individuals making reports with good intentions should be protected by law. Liability should focus on intentional or serious failure to act, even if clear warning signs are present. The main focus should be on protecting children, not causing fear among staff that could lead to unnecessary reports or lack of investigation. He also criticized the process of transferring cases between schools, the Ministry of Education, the Social Welfare Department, and the police, which he found inconsistent. Children should not be moved from one agency to another when an adult fails, and responsibility should be clearly assigned. As soon as reasonable suspicion of abuse arises, immediate reporting, safety assessment, medical treatment, police investigation, and psychological support should be carried out simultaneously. He also advocated for practical body safety education to be permanently included in the national school curriculum so children can learn about personal boundaries and how to seek help.",
  "summary": "Pesuruhjaya Kanak-kanak Adib Samuri berkata sekolah tidak patut hanya bergantung kepada pemeriksaan kesihatan tahunan untuk mengesan penderaan seksual terhadap golongan itu.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Suhakam gesa permudah saluran murid lapor penderaan seksual",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/suhakam-gesa-permudah-saluran-murid-lapor-penderaan-seksual",
        "published": "2026-10-04T23:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}