KUCHING: The Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak) wants jokes on rape and treating rape as joke must be put to stop.
The group said there is also a need to re-educate people on sexual crime awareness.
“There is a need for re-education on sexual crime awareness and a code of conduct at all levels of our education system, indeed within our law enforcement agencies as well, starting from the very top,” it added.
Gerak issued the statement in response to a rape joke made by a teacher during a lesson in class, which was revealed on social media by Aina Husniza Saiful Nizam, 17.
“The teacher had trivialised the crime, even `advising’ the boys about not raping minors, but implying that it was all right to rape adult women,” it stated.
Gerak noted that the female student had received rape threats by male students at her school, after the revelation on social media.
“She has also been criticised for being ‘emotional’ and that the incident should have been handled internally in the school,” it said.
The group said it was appalled with the response by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani in dismissing the rape threats towards Aina.
“We were shocked by the Deputy IGP’s response, suggesting that the rape threat by the male student ‘may be a joke’,” it stated.
Gersak mentioned that society has virtually sidestepped or accepted the culture of misogyny and trivialising the struggles faced by women and other weaker groups in society.
“Sexual harassment and abuse must be recognised for what they are, namely abuses and attacks on society’s individuals, more often females.
“Many people, from teachers to senior policemen must be re-educated on sexual crime,” it added.
