“Case closed”

By Anil Netto,

Can’t say I am surprised to see this in the Borneo Post. I am also not surprised that the alleged victims were relucant to provide statements.

Penan rape case closed: Deputy IGP
By Gary Adit

Nation’s No. 2 cop says police have done all they can and probe over

KUCHING: The police have done all they can to investigate the recent allegations of rapes of Penan women and though no one has been prosecuted, they now consider the issue over.Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, who said this, pointed out that the police had thoroughly investigated every reported case to separate genuine cases from those that had been sensationalised.

Speaking at a press conference following the official opening ceremony of the General Operations Force (GOF) headquarters in Batu Kawah yesterday, he said they did their best, including setting a task force to investigate the claims.

However, Ismail said there were cases which could not be investigated due to lack of evidence, or the reluctance of the alleged victims to provide statements to the police.

He pointed out that although the police had responded to the issue, there was simply not enough evidence from a law perspective to arrest or prosecute anyone in relation to the alleged incidents.

“We did not push it (the alleged rape issue) away nor did we try to hide anything. We were very open about the investigation and cooperated with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as federal agencies like Datuk Seri Sharizat Jalil’s (Women, Family and Community Development) to uncover the truth. There is no need to bring up this issue any more,” he stressed, in an apparent response to criticisms from some quarters that the police were slow in conducting their investigations.

The Deputy IGP said what was important now was for all parties to work together to make sure such incidents do not recur in the future.

“We (police) are also taking our own measures now, but we need the cooperation and obligation of everyone – families, friends, and the community as a whole – to prevent such acts from happening again in the future,” he said.

The allegations of rape or sexual abuse of Penan women surfaced in September 2008 following a media release by Swiss-based Bruno Manser Foundation.

They claimed that workers from two timber companies were sexually exploiting women in various settlements in the Middle Baram area within the companies’ operation areas.

Consequently, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development set up a task force to look into the claims and its report was released in September.

It caused a national outcry and was taken by some quarters as a confirmation of the claims although no one had come forward to point out the alleged rapists.

Last month, federal CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin revealed that the police had not been able to complete its investigations because those who made the allegations had not given their cooperation and this, in turn, had raised doubts as to the truth of their claims.

“The people cannot blame us for that because if you really want the cases to be completed then give us information, even the non-governmental organisations who initially brought the issue to the public have given us zero cooperation,” he told reporters in Bintulu then.

He also revealed that the police had investigated 14 cases in nine settlements in Ulu Baram, but that only four cases involved the Penans.

One person was subsequently charged in connection with one case, but the other three cases had no witnesses to enable the police to take legal action.