Girl, 12, missing after outing with online pal

PASIR GUDANG: A mother is having sleepless nights for the past two days since her 12-year-old daughter failed to return home after an outing with a boy she met online.

Pet groomer Lee Yih Loon, 37, said her daughter Chang Xing Hui had told her that she would have an early birthday celebration with her friends at a shopping complex in Johor Baru.

She said Chang told her that one of her friend’s mother would drive her to the shopping complex.

She also called her daughter while she was on her way to the party to make sure everything was all right.

“I was surprised to hear men’s voices while talking to her and this was when I sensed something was wrong,” Lee said during a press conference organised by Permas Selatan MCA division chairman Shium Chan Teck here Monday.

She immediately asked Chang to return home but the girl refused, and Lee has been unable to reach her daughter after the last phone conversation between them at around 4.10pm.

“I’m worried for her safety and I suspect that she befriended a 15-year-old boy known only as Yi on Facebook,” said Lee.

Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Sulaiman Salleh said it is being treated as a missing persons case.

Malaysian admits sex with 31 boys in Singapore

Court told Ipoh-born man made friends on Facebook, had sex with boys in public places.

FMT

SINGAPORE: An Ipoh-born quality assurance engineer has admitted having sex with 31 boys aged between 11 and 15 after befriending them on Facebook under different names.

Yap Weng Wah pleaded guilty on Friday to 12 charges of sex with boys, with 64 other charges to be taken into account for his sentencing.

Prosecutors told the court that he and 30 of the boys engaged in sexual acts at his rented flat, toilets of shopping centres and swimming complexes, hotel rooms and a public park.

He recorded the sex acts on his mobile phone, storing them in his laptop computer, in folders indicating each boy’s name, age and year they met, the Straits Times reported.

He also asked a 12-year-old to send a video of the boy performing a lewd act, the Straits Times reported.

Police found more than 2,000 video clips in his computer when they raided his home after one of the boys made a report.

On Friday, Yap pleaded guilty in court to 12 charges, while 63 other charges of sexual penetration of a minor and one for procuring a child to commit an indecent act will be taken into consideration at sentencing.

The prosecutor seeks a penalty of at least 30 years’ jail and 24 strokes of the rotan.

Yap was reported to have come to Singapore in 2009. His two younger siblings and mother live in Ipoh. His father moved to New Zealand when he was eight years old, the report said.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT! Another bullying case exposed

Young boy is trashed by a group of seniors in latest bullying episode.



PETALING JAYA: Another video clip of group bullying, in what appears to be a school dormitory, has emerged online following a similar ragging clip that went viral on YouTube recently and that was reported on FMT today.

However, this close to seven minute clip is far more brutal in its nature as the clip showed just one boy being beaten up and kicked around by several older boys, believed to be seniors.

The clip showed the young victim crying and pleading for mercy, only to be beaten harder by the group of older boys.

Halfway through the clip, the bullies even played loud music and danced about while continuing to abuse the boy as if they were at a festival and the victim a human pinata.

The exact location of the brutal bullying has yet to be identified.

Nevertheless the video clearly shows some sort of a boarding school or dormitory setting, while faces of the bullies and victim are clearly captured in the footage.

Woman jailed for hitting kids, returns

Shalwati Norshal’s eldest daughter says she is excited and cannot wait to see her mother again.

KOTA BAHARU: “I am excited and cannot wait to meet my mother,” said Aishah Azizul Raheem, the eldest child of Shalwati Norshal who was sentenced to jail by the Solna District Court in Stockholm, Sweden for hitting her children.

Aishah, 14, said she was grateful and happy when told her mother would be released from prison today.

“What is even better is that we will get to celebrate Aidiladha with mother,” she told reporters at Kampung Wakaf Tok Wali, Melor yesterday.

She said she and her brothers, Ammar, 13, Adam, 12, and Ariff, 8, would make a special card to welcome their mother’s return and give her a bouquet of flowers.

Shalwati’s father, Norshal Nordin, 70, said he was thankful that his daughter would be coming home soon.

“At least, my daughter will be back with the family and I hope she can have a better life after this,” he said.

Shalwati was freed after serving a prison sentence in Sweden and was expected to return to Malaysia this Wednesday.

On March 29, Azizul Raheem, a Tourism Malaysia officer and his wife, Shalwati, were sentenced to imprisonment for hitting their four children.

Azizul Raheem, was released on July 9 after a three-month jail sentence in Sweden.

Shalwati, a teacher on unpaid leave, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail.

However, the sentences were reduced and both only needed to serve one-third of their jail term. – BERNAMA

Child abuse: Sessions judge asked for report on 4-year-old’s rape

The girl’s seminary teacher, accused of the crime, was arrested. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:  Taking notice of the news report of a four-year-old sexually assaulted allegedly by her seminary teacher in Mailsi, the Lahore High Court complaint cell on Saturday directed the Vehari district and sessions judge to submit his comments and order the police to submit a follow-up report on the progress in the case.

The case had been registered on the complaint of the child’s father, a resident of Nawan Shehr, who said that he had dropped his daughter at the Shaheedanwala seminary in the neighborhood. He said over 70 children from five nearby villages were enrolled at the seminary.

He said it was the girl’s first day at the seminary. The principal had asked him to leave the girl at his office so that “he could introduce her to the rest of the children”. He said when he returned to pick her up, he discovered that that the girl was inside the principal’s office that was locked. The principal was missing.

He said when he broke into the room, he found her lying unconscious on the floor. She was taken to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors treating her said that her condition was critical and that she need to undergo a surgery.

Dr Tahira Parveen at the hospital had later shared the girl’s medico-legal examination report with the press and confirmed sexual assault.

The child’s relatives and neighbours had staged a protest demonstration and announced boycott of all seminaries in the village.

On the orders of the district police officer, Sadiq Ali Dogar, the suspect was arrested from another seminary, where he had been hiding since the girl was found at his office. Two clerics from the same seminary had gone missing after the suspect was arrested.

Several other parents had voiced up in the following protests saying that their children, too, had been subjected to sexual assault. They said they had withdrawn their children from the seminaries and remained silent for “honour”.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2013.

Baby tossing video goes viral on YouTube

The recording of a maid abusing a four-month-old baby, captured on CCTV, sparks outrage among the social networking site users


PETALING JAYA: A video of an Indonesian maid abusing a baby is going viral on the Internet, drawing the ire of its viewers.

The two-and-half minute CCTV footage, uploaded on YouTube by “Sir Ark”, shows the maid tossing and throwing the baby on a mat violently.

The maid did the heinous act while feeding and dressing the baby, oblivious to the fact that her actions were being recorded.

One upset viewer, Amerul Afiq, said: “Dia ingat baby tu roti canai ke ape?!! Kene gi tau mael lambong ni , kasi lambong sama dia” (What does she think the baby is? Roti canai? The maid deserves a beating).

Another viewer, Akmal Baharum, urged everyone to be careful when choosing a maid.

Viewer Digganesh, on the other hand, advised families to raise their own children instead of relying on maids.

“I never trust my child with any one else except my mom and wife. You want to have a child? Make sure you raise him or her yourself!” he said.

The video currently has 36,582 views.

In an update, the police arrested the maid, Yuliana, 24, recently and the Kuantan Sessions Court sentenced her to a 20-year imprisonment yesterday.

She pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted murder and physical abuse of four-month-old Mohamed Hareez Mohamed Zamri at his parents’ home in Kuantan.

The incident was said to have happened on the morning of Feb 15.

‘Protective’ custody: 13-year-old boy kept in chains for the past five years

Petitioner alleges that the inspector tried to protect the accused rather than conduct a thorough and fair investigation. PHOTO: FILE 

BADIN: Waseem Kumbhar, 13, has been kept in chains by his mother, Fatima Kumbhar, for the past five years.

This family of Badin has been leading a hard life since the death of the boy’s father seven years ago. Allah Dino, who was a craftsman by profession, had cancer. After his death, Fatima and Waseem were left to fend for themselves.

Fatima recalls that Waseem’s condition began after he contracted fever but was not given proper treatment. Since then, his mental capacity has been decreasing gradually.

“I tried to buy medicines for him without whatever money I had, but I was unable to complete treatment,” she told daily Sindh Express.

She worries that if she does not keep him chained, he will leave the house and get lost. Fatima earns her livelihood by making dung cakes.

If she stays home to look after her son, the two of them will not be able to survive, she said. “I have to leave home early in the morning every day and come back at noon.”

She admits that it is difficult for her to take her son to the doctor because she has to roam around the entire city, looking for dung. “It is difficult to visit doctors in such a situation when earning for two meals a day is not an easy job.”

The doctors believe, however, that the boy can recover if he is treated properly. “He needs proper treatment and food,” advised Dr Shujjat Hussain Khwaja. “His recovery would be difficult, if he is not treated right away and is kept in chains.”

Torn between her family’s survival and her son’s special needs, Fatima worries what will happen to Waseem after her. She has visited several officials but no one has extended any help. “I am living among rich people but no one even bothers to look at me and my son.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.

Child abuse: Mechanic pleads not guilty

Magistrate Suhaimah Mohd Noor denies bail on grounds that the victim was staying with Rajasegaran.
FULL REPORT

KLANG: A mechanic charged with abusing his three-year-old stepson, a video of which went viral on Facebook, has pleaded not guilty.

T Rajasegaran, 32, was charged under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act 2001 at the Magistrate’s Court here.

If found guilty, he could face a prison term of up to 10 years, a fine of RM20,000 or both.

The mechanic appeared calm when the charge was read out. He had initially pleaded guilty but later changed his mind.

Magistrate Suhaima Mohd Noor set Jan 15 for mention and denied bail.

The toddler, who was abused, was also present in court together with his mother, who is Rajasegaran’s second wife.

Magistrate Suhaima refused to allow bail for Rajasegaran following a request by the prosecution, represented by deputy public prosecutor Munirah Shamsudin @ Baharum, on grounds that the child was staying with him.

Rajasegaran, from Kapar, had pleaded not guilty to a charge of abusing the boy at a house in Kapar about 12.30pm last September.

A recording of the alleged abuse was posted on Facebook.

Two wives, four children


Rajasegaran, who was unrepresented, asked to be allowed bail as he had to support two wives and four children, aged between eights months and five years.

He also said that his second wife, who is the victim’s mother, was pregnant with his fifth child.

Earlier, Rajasegaran had pleaded guilty to the charge, following which the proceeding was adjourned to give time for the prosecution to prepare the facts of the case, pending sentencing.

However, when proceeding resumed about half an hour later, Rajasegaran decided to change his guilty plea.

His second wife was in court during the proceeding, holding the victim, who was sleeping.

After proceeding ended, she was seen scolding the press photographers who wanted to take pictures of her and the victim outside the court.

MIC wants willing families to adopt abused boy

The police have wrapped up investigations on the matter and are awaiting reply from the Attorney-General's Chambers.

PETALING JAYA: The MIC Youth would interview families interested in adopting Pugalenthi, the three-year-old, who was abused by his step-father in Klang recently

The boy was discharged from the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah General Hospital in Klang today and is now under the care of the State Welfare Department.

“MIC Youth information chief S Subramaniam would be visiting potential families who have shown interest in adopting the boy, today. We want to find the best suited family for the boy.

“We are not keen in having him placed at a welfare home or a childcare centre,” MIC Youth chief T Mohan told FMT when contacted.

He said giving up the boy for adoption would be the best available solution as he would be able to lead a family life.

Pugalenthi’s plight came to light last week after a video of him being abused by the step-father was uploaded on Facebook.

The video created a furore among Malaysians and the step-father was arrested while the boy was sent to the hospital for observation.

The boy, who spent the last few days under the supervision of the State Welfare Department at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah hospital, is doing well and is happy, according to a hospital source.

The source added that the boy has no remaining injuries and is physically and mentally stable.

Meanwhile, Klang police deputy chief Supt Jani Ahmad said the police have completed investigations in the case.

“We have sent the investigations papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers. We will wait for further instructions from the A-G’s Chambers… hopefully, a decision will be made in the next few days,” he told FMT.

The father is expected to be charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a punishment of a maximum 10 years imprisonment or a maximum fine of RM 20,000, or both.

The man is expected to be in remand awaiting the AG’s Chambers next course of action.

Child molesters beyond reach of long arm of the law

Despite allegations of child molestation against a number of local clerics in the city, not one suspect has been detained due to a lack of solid evidence in each case, according to the police.

In the most recent case, allegedly committed by the founder of the Islamic educational Darul Ilmi Al-fikri Foundation in Pondok Cabe, South Jakarta, the police said they had no legitimate reason to arrest the suspect.

South Jakarta Police detectives chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hermawan said on Tuesday that according to Criminal Code Procedures, an arrest could only be made with two pieces of evidence: physical proof and a witness statement.

“Physical examinations of the [victims] did not present anything unusual. Also, the witnesses presented did not directly see the alleged assaults taking place, they only received verbal reports from the victims,” he said, adding that the police had not stopped seeking evidence for the case.

The police named Mika Maulana a suspect on Nov. 26, following a report filed by a teacher at the foundation, for allegedly molesting three teenage girls, aged 14, 16 and 17, between January and September. The police, however, soon released him, much to the anger of the victims’ families.

“It is not right that the man is walking around free, considering what he did to my 14-year-old daughter,” said the widowed mother of one of the girls at the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas Anak) office in East Jakarta on Tuesday.

The parents and their legal representatives are seeking support from the commission to have the suspect arrested.

One of the lawyers, Abu Bakar Lamatapo, said the police’s argument was debatable, as they already had statements from the three victims and two witnesses.

“The fact that the man hasn’t been put behind bars has upset the parents, the victims and people living in those areas, which in itself could be another reason to issue an arrest warrant,” Abu said.

Komnas Anak chairman Arist Merdeka Sirait said the police should charge the suspect under the 2002 Child Protection Law rather than the Criminal Code on molestation, which the suspect could easily dodge by claiming what took place was consensual.

“Even if it was consensual, it was done to minors, who are supposed to be protected from such repugnant deeds,” he said.

The Criminal Code carries seven years’ imprisonment as a punishment for molestation, while the Child Protection Law carries a sentence of 15 years in jail plus a Rp 300 million (US$31,136) fine.

Another alleged sex offender who is still free is cleric Habib Hasan Assegaf, the leader of the Nurul Musthofa Islamic congregation in Jagakarta, South Jakarta. He was reported to police in February for allegedly sexually abusing 13 underage boys since 2002.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said the police were making slow progress in the Habib Hasan investigation, also due to a lack of evidence.

“The difficulty in investigating such cases is that sometimes the assaults occurred long before being reported, therefore making it hard to gather physical evidence,” Rikwanto said. (aml/fzm)

Police detain mechanic over child abuse video clip on Facebook

KLANG: The police have detained a mechanic for allegedly abusing a three-year-old boy, following a video clip which went viral on Facebook on Tuesday.

North Klang police deputy chief Supt Jani Ahmad said the 32-year-old suspect, who is the step-father of the victim, was picked up at his house in Taman Mas, Kapar here about 8pm Tuesday.

He said the arrest followed a police report from an individual who knew the suspect featured in the video clip.

Jani said, during the raid, the suspect was with the victim.

"We have detained a man, while the child has been sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital here for treatment of injuries, believed to have been sustained from the abuse," he said Wednesday.

Elaborating, Jani said the police were unsure of the actual date of the incident, adding that the mother of the child could not be contacted.

Meanwhile, according to the police Facebook page, the man was being investigated under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and if convicted, can be fined not more than RM20,000 or jailed not more than 10 years, or both.

The latest entry on the site said the child was now being treated at the hospital and placed under the care of the state welfare department.

The eight minute, 33-second video clip shows a man in a blue shirt and a pair of jeans hurling and kicking the child who was crying incessantly. - Bernama

Video of child abuse goes viral on Facebook

The 4-minute clip from last year shows a woman repeatedly beating a toddler. She was jailed for 18 months for that.
UPDATED

PETALING JAYA: A video showing a woman abusing a toddler is going viral on Facebook and has caught the attention of Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

The video, which runs for about 4 minutes, was posted last Friday on the social networking site and has had more than 22,000 shares. It shows the child lying prone on a mattress and crying as the woman pinches, kicks and beats it with a pillow repeatedly.

The beating continues even as the child seems to have stopped crying.

Another woman, presumably the one shooting the video, keeps telling the abuser, whom she calls Ira, to stop the beating.

“Why are you showing your anger to the child? Do you want to kill her?” says the other woman. The clip was however removed earlier today.

In his Twitter posting, Khairy said he had informed Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein about the video.

Khairy said the abuse was unforgivable and that he felt physically sick watching the video.

“The one who took the video is equally cruel,” he tweeted. “She did nothing to save the toddler. Conspiring to commit a crime.”

In further tweets, Khairy revealed that he was informed by Hishammuddin that it was an old case and that the police had taken action against the woman.

He said that the woman was charged and jailed for 18 months in Petaling Jaya last year.