Saturday May 11, 2013

Activists demand better protection for children

PETALING JAYA: The shocking discovery of Nur Amyliana Shuhada Mohd Noor’s, who is believed to have also been raped, has sparked outrage among child activists who are demanding for improved child protection efforts.

Voice of Children Malaysia chairman Sharmila Sekaran said there had been no effort to step up protection of children since William Yau’s death.

“The authorities need to realise that children are not being prioritised. Children need adults to think for them. We have a responsibility to ensure their safety,” she said.

Nur Amyliana Shuhada’s death comes just four months after the death of six-year-old William Yau Zhen Zhong.

Sharmila suggested parents and teachers advise children on safety.

“Most abductions start with the kidnapper approaching the victim to ask for directions. So, children should be trained not to speak to strangers, and to always inform their parents on their whereabouts,” she added.

Yayasan Chow Kit Kita founder Dr Hartini Zainudin lamented the lack of proper laws.

“We need to re-examine our laws to ensure one message is clear – that the perpetrators will be punished to the full extent of the law,” she said.

Dr Hartini also referred to a recent case where a 13-year-old girl withdrew her accusation of rape against a restaurant manager after he decided to marry her.

“Through this, we seem to say it is all right for a rapist to marry his victim,” she said.

Women’s Aid Organisation executive director Ivy Josiah said while the crime may appear to be a random act of evil, the reality was that children were targets of vicious adults.

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