Malaysia's new child sexual crimes court resolves 14 cases in first month
PUTRAJAYA - Malaysia's new special court for child sexual crimes has resolved 14 cases since its opening a month ago, Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif said on Saturday (Aug 5) according to The Star.
Eight of the 14 cases were filed last year, the judge was quoted as saying at a press conference, adding that only three cases from 2016 were left.
The new special court was set up under a law passed in April to deal with child sexual abuse cases more quickly, in the wake of a spate of heinous sexual crimes against children making headlines in the country.
In the most notorious case, Briton Richard Huckle lived for over a year in a row of rundown longhouses near an affluent Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood where he preyed on at least 23 children from poor Malaysian families.
His horrendous crimes were exposed only after he was arrested in London in December 2014.
The Sexual Offences Against Children (SOAC) Act 2017, which obtained Royal Assent on July 3 and was gazetted on July 7, came into effect on July 10.
It criminalises "grooming" - touching and befriending children as a prelude to sexual abuse - and spells out penalties for making and possessing pornography involving those under 18.
The maximum penalty under the law is a jail term of up to 30 years and six strokes of the whip for making, possessing or distributing child pornography.
Located at the Palace of Justice, the new court is presided over by a senior Sessions Court judge with 25 years of experience, and hears cases from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya involving underaged victims.
A total of 62 cases have been filed under the court.
Md Raus said that he will visit Sabah in the coming week to oversee the formation of the special court, which is scheduled to be launched on March 1, 2018.
"We are in discussions on having another court in Johor Baru, Penang and maybe in Ipoh. It would depend on the number of cases," he said at the press conference.
He said a formalised Standard Operating Procedure will be drawn up soon to handle cases of sexual offences against children.
"We will formalise the SOP and it will be headed by the judiciary. We are discussing it with all the stakeholders, such as the police and social welfare department," said Md Raus.
Most complaints of child sexual abuse in Malaysia did not lead to successful prosecutions, largely due to weaknesses in the criminal justice system, Reuters reported last year.
Only 140 of the 12,987 cases of child sexual abuse reported to police between 2012 and July 2016 resulted in convictions.
So glad you are working so hard to rectify this injustice. God bless you.
Female NHS staff groped and forced to give
sexual favors: Report
Ambulances are pictured outside the Royal London Hospital in London on May 14, 2017. (AFP photo)
Female ambulance staff at the National Health Service (NHS) face widespread bullying and sexual harassment, a new report has revealed, the latest in a string of institutional sex abuse accusations in the UK.
Women at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (Secamb) told investigators they were asked for sexual favors in return for promotion, according to a report by researchers led by Professor Duncan Lewis from Plymouth University.
The independent report, which was commissioned by Secamb, found that female staff suffer from groping and “highly sexualized gazing” by their male colleagues and managers
“The researchers heard from several sources about "overt and covert sexualized behavior" within Secamb,” the report said.
The report said the perpetrators include former senior leaders to frontline managers and the general workforce.
“For example, female staff talked about sexual favors being sought in return for career progression whilst others were hounded by managers seeking sexual favors for personal reasons,” it said.
Some female respondents talked about “sexual predators” among male colleagues who “groomed students” for sexual favors.
More than 40 percent of about 2,000 staff who took part in the research said they had experienced bullying in the past year.
Researchers were said to be shocked at the number of staff reporting poor behavior.
"Ignorance is no defense and too many British institutions have demonstrated failure to take matters seriously when it comes to sexual abuse,” the report concluded.
The report is the latest in a string of institutional sex abuse accusations in the United Kingdom.
The UK has been struggling to deal with a series of sexual abuse scandals that have raised doubts about how institutions, including the church, sports teams and the news media respond to those who are vulnerable to abuse.
Hundreds of British police officers have used their power to sexually abuse vulnerable people, according to a report last year by the royal Inspectorate of Constabulary.
Late last year, a child sex abuse scandal in youth football clubs rocked the country after about 350 former youth football players had come forward in November to report abuse by coaches in Britain.
Documentary highlights dilemmas of
child sexual abuse in Pakistan
By Mariam Shafqat
LAHORE: One out of every six children is likely to be sexually abused before turning 18 and 93% of the victims know their abuser while 25% of the abusers are female.
These facts and figures were shared at the screening of “In plain sight – A documentary on child sexual abuse in Pakistan”, at the Alhamra Arts Council at Gadaffi Stadium. The documentary is one of the latest efforts of Child Empowerment Association of Pakistan (CEAP), an organisation working towards elimination of the menace through various awareness campaigns and workshops.
The documentary features the story of a sexual abuse survivor and how it impacted him at a very young age. Synchronously, it outlines the legal, societal and cultural loopholes that make it easy for the perpetrators to get away while victims continue to suffer, hence making sexual abuse prevalent in all those parts of our society that we deem safe and sacred for children.
Speaking about the documentary, CEAP founder Tehmina Shahid said she started her organisation in 2015 with the mission of helping people understand the phenomenon of child sexual abuse, its dynamics, the potential impact that it can have, help children who have been victimised and most importantly stop abuse in its tracks.
“We see a lot being done on child sexual abuse worldwide but most of it is rooted in anonymity, with the right information and right mindset child sexual abuse can be prevented,” she said.
Shahid said the organisation has been going to schools and colleges where they find the most relevant audience and conduct awareness workshops and panel discussions both for adults and school children.
“Apart from educating people about what sexual abuse really is, our special focus is debunking the myths that surround sexual abuse since something that is so rarely talked about would naturally have a lot of confusion around it,” Shahid said.
According to her, there was no comprehensive data on child sexual abuse in Pakistan, which is why we are still stuck at the basics, last time the comprehensive study was done in year 2,000 by PAHCHAAN (Protection And Help of Children Against Abuse and Neglect), a child rights organisation, and since then no new data are available.
The screening also organised a discussion panel with various experts highlighting the social and legal aspects surrounding child sexual abuse. Psychotherapist Ayesha Iftikhar highlighted difficulties associated with disclosure as well as regressive taboos still attached with therapy in Pakistan. Advocate Ahmar Majeed highlighted the institutional, procedural and socio-cultural issues that were deeply embedded within Pakistani society at large and were responsible for under-reporting and low rate of prosecution and conviction of perpetrators.
Former RAF officer jailed after child rape messages
By Paul Hooper
A former RAF intelligence officer has been jailed for 16 months for sending sick messages over Skype about child rape.
Married father of two Andrew Hammond called himself “Dirty Daddy" as he shared his depraved fantasies over the Internet.
Hammond, 49, of Crabble Hill, Dover had pleaded guilty to NINE offences relating to more than 1000 indecent images of children and babies being sexually assaulted.
Canterbury Crown Court heard how Hammond had served in the RAF – and was involved in directing bombing operations in Afghanistan.
His barrister claimed his experiences – watching beheadings, torture and assassinations – had left him “desensitised from things remote”.
After leaving the forces, Hammond, who served with the RAF for 26 years, had secretly carried on conversations in chatrooms where he talked about raping babies.
Prosecutor Andrew Forsyth said in June last year Kent detectives were alerted by their American counterparts about his activities with other paedophiles in the Canada-based chatrooms.
Hammond – who was convicted of doing the same thing in 2012 – was now using the names “Sick Daddy” and “Dirty Daddy”.
He was arrested and officers discovered more than 1000 vile child images on his telephone which he used to access the sites from his car... a quarter of them at the worst level.
He told police the chats about raping a child had gone on “for hours at a time”.
Mr Forsyth added: “He denied having any sexual interest in children and it was more to do with the “taboo subject”... involving raping babies."
Paedophilia has a more to do with the destruction
of innocence, and the violation of the sacred than actual sexual attraction.
The court heard that at one time Hammond’s wife became suspicious of his behaviour and hid his laptop computers. But he later found them and carried on his chats which were driven by “lustful thoughts”.
Hammond's RAF job had been to analyse drone images during the Afghanistan War and target bombings. David Owusu-Yianoma, defending, said: “He was a specialist in image analysis, both satellite and drone intelligence gathering.
“That involved him watching some very gruesome footage, brutal beatings, torture, people being made to lie on the ground and then shot in the head and others being beheaded.”
His barrister added: “In order to do his job it involved a certain detachment and remoteness from the targets involved. It was a dark period in his life which has traumatised him.”
Hammond, who also worked for P&O Ferries, pleaded guilty to NINE charges of possessing and distributing sex images of children and posting articles in the chatrooms.
Judge Rupert Lowe told him that while he accepted his war experiences had affected his judgement it couldn’t excuse his “obsession with having sex with children.”
He said some of the images were of the “utmost gravity” showing the raping of real children and babies.
“It is the market for such images created by people like you which increases the frequency and severity and barbarity of the real sexual abuse of children.”
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Through his disturbing behaviour it is clear that Hammond poses a very serious threat to children and it is right that he is now facing a custodial sentence.
“By creating, viewing and distributing these child abuse images, Hammond has helped fuel a sickening online industry. These are images of crime scenes and children have been abused for these to be created."
“We hope that Hammond receives rehabilitation and treatment to minimise any risk he poses upon his release.”
London Doctor Manish Shah Charged with 118 Sexual Offences Including Child Abuse
by VIRGINIA HALELondon-based Dr. Manish Shah has been charged with 118 sexual offences including the abuse of a child under 13 years of age.
The 47-year-old doctor is accused of having assaulted 54 victims at a surgery in east London between 2004 and 2013, when he was first arrested.
In a statement published Wednesday night, the Metropolitan Police reported that Shah is also charged with one count of sexual assault on a child under 13, contrary to section 7 of the Act.
According to the Daily Mail, the doctor was first suspended by the General Medical Council in August 2014, a year after the council placed unspecified “interim conditions” on Shah, whose suspension has been extended only on an annual basis since.
Currently, NHS Choices lists him as working as a GP at North Avenue Surgery in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, although none of the charges relate to his time there and the surgery’s records have not been updated in nearly three years.
According to the website, Shah — who the Mail reports was not born in the UK — speaks Hindi and Gujarati in addition to English, and cites “family planning” as his main interest.
While his listing on the NHS site notes that the doctor is able to “fit and remove [contraceptive] coils”, it is not known whether any of the allegations relate to intimate examinations.
Shah is to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court in East London on August 31.
In 2012, the Sunday Telegraph revealed that three-quarters of doctors struck off in the UK were trained abroad, with foreign doctors five times more likely to be removed or suspended from the medical register than those trained in the UK.
According to data obtained by the newspaper using freedom of information laws, India was the country with the biggest single number of doctors who were struck off or suspended, followed by Nigeria and Egypt.
And in the same year, the Daily Mail reported that dozens of doctors were allowed to keep practising, despite being convicted of serious sexual offences.
The General Medical Council said it inquired about an automatic ban on doctors who are on the sex offenders register, but “advice was obtained from a leading QC who concluded that an automatic bar, without exceptions, would not be compatible with human rights legislation”.
Good grief! I think you had better consult another QC. Patients have a right to be protected from predatory doctors. I hope somebody sues you for that very reason.
German couple jailed for rape and murder
of Chinese student
A court in Dessau has delivered its verdict on the killing of a Chinese student who was raped and savagely beaten to death. One of the accused's parents, a police officer, was initially tasked with the investigation.
Main suspect covers his face
A German man who raped and killed a Chinese student after luring her to an empty apartment with his female co-defendant was jailed for life on Friday. The regional court in the eastern town of Dessau-Rosslau handed the man's former partner a five-and-a-half year sentence.
The 25-year-old victim's disfigured body was found abandoned in undergrowth. Prosecutors say that, after the victim was raped and savagely beaten - with blows to the head, torso and extremities - she was left to die in the flat. When the couple returned later and found the victim still alive, they allegedly abandoned her outside.
Prosecutors had demanded life for the 21-year-old male defendant, Sebastian F. The prosecution asked for his co-defendant Xenia I., also 21 and a mother-of-three, to be given an eight-year sentence because she had shown remorse. Xenia I. was tried for the offense under youth-sentencing procedures.
Parents to appeal sentencing of Xenia I.
Sven Pfeitzner, the lawyer representing the parents of the victim, told DW they were satisfied with the life sentence handed to the murderer of their daughter, but would appeal against that given to Xenia I..
"I am completely in agreement ... that Sebastian F. is receiving the highest penalty possible under German law. The parents ... are also pleased and satisfied that Sebastian F. has to spend his life behind bars and cannot hurt anyone," he said.
"But the parents will take legal action with regard to the fact that Xenia I. has received a prison sentence of just five and a half years under juvenile law. They have already decided to appeal," Pfeitzner added. He said he was of the opinion that Xenia I. had assisted not only in the victim's rape, but also in covering up the entire violent crime.
Defendant 'showed no emotion'
"We have not yet decided whether or not to appeal," said Marco Bennewitz, the lawyer representing Sebastian F. "We are exploring all legal avenues."
The courtroom in Dessau
Can't be sure, but I would be willing to bet that the young man on the far left of the photo is the murderer
Sebastian F., meanwhile, refused to answer the charges against him over 30 days of proceedings.
"I can confirm that my client Sebastian F. did not show any emotion as the verdict was announced either," said Bennewitz.
The case made headlines in Germany not only for its brutality, but also because the male defendant's mother and stepfather are both police officers - one of whom had been involved in the case. The mother had taken part in early interviews, before there were any suspicions her son might be involved.
Suspicions that the parents might have sought to influence the case were later ruled out.
The parents of the victim were present through much of the court case. Their lawyers had asked for a sentence that would reflect justice.
Europe-wide police operation saves hundreds
of sex trafficking victims
A massive operation coordinated by Europol has saved 910 potential victims from likely trafficking and sexual exploitation. Nearly 125,000 people were searched over the course of a week.
German police conduct raids at locations suspected of possible sex trafficking and exploitation
Law enforcement agencies across Europe carried out massive coordinated operations against organized criminal groups involved in trafficking and forced sexual exploitation, leading to the arrest of 107 people, Europol said on Monday.
Hundreds saved
The Austrian-led operation, conducted between 26 June and July 2, led to 910 potential victims of trafficking being identified.
Twenty-two countries participated in the Europe-wide operation, in which nearly 125,000 persons, 6,000 vehicles and 4,000 locations such as red-light districts, brothels and massage parlors were checked.
"Special attention was given to the online environment, used as a means to advertise victims of sexual exploitation," Europol said in a statement.
Europol said the week-long operation confirmed the prevalence of trafficking networks originating from Nigeria, South America and Eastern Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment