Photo: Ramidi Subari
KUCHING: Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato Sri Hajah Fatimah Abdullah said that it was time to review the law on rape cases involving children.
“This is following a rape case involving children in Limbang where the accused and the victim are 9 and 11 years old, respectively,” she said at a press conference after receiving a courtesy call from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) regarding International Conference of Borneo Book Publishing and The Sixth eBorneo Knowledge Fair in her office at Baitulmakmur Building, Petra Jaya near here, yesterday.
According to Fatimah, the case is very complicated because it cannot be declared a rape case as the victim and the accused are minors.
She said that under the existing law, there was a presumption that a boy under 13 years old could not be charged with rape.
She added that the ministry will look into the accused’s mental state whether he acted with intent or because of curiosity (without knowing the consequences of his action).
