KUCHING: Sarawak has the fifth highest rape rate in Malaysia after recording a total of 67 rape cases this year.
Selangor is first with 168 rape cases while Kedah is second with 80 cases, Sabah third with 72 cases) and Johor fourth with 69 cases.
Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah also revealed that this year’s rape cases in Sarawak had increased by eight cases compared to last year’s figure.
“From January to June this year, the Sarawak Criminal Investigation Department (CID) recorded a total of 67 rape cases compared to last year’s figure of 59 cases.
“Based on the victims’ age groups, 50 are aged between 13 and 16; six 0 to 12 years old; five 17 to 18 years old; five 19 to 25 years old and one 26 years old and above. The youngest rape victim is 11 years old.
“Forty-one of the rape victims are pregnant and about 62 percent are children below 16 years old.
“In addition, 42 rape cases were with consent while 25 cases were without consent,” she told the media after receiving a courtesy call from Sarawak Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief SAC Lukas Aket and his party at Baitul Makmur II building on Tuesday (Aug 3).
These statistics, added the minister, showed that the families’ control over their children were lax, thus allowing the latter to meet their boyfriends or other known acquaintances via social media.
Besides that, there were also children who were out of control despite being controlled strictly by their families.
“They would still go out to meet their partners without permission and came home pregnant,” she said.
Fatimah added that 99 percent of the rape suspects were known to the victims such as boyfriends, known acquaintances, biological fathers, step fathers and others. Only one percent of the suspects were unknown to the victim.
On the domestic violence cases in Sarawak, she revealed that the CID had recorded more cases during the movement control order (MCO) period compared to before the MCO.
“The department recorded a total of 755 domestic violence cases during the MCO from March last year to March this year.
“The figure shows an increase of 65 cases during the MCO period. From February 2019 to February 2020, the department recorded 690 domestic violence cases,” she said.
Fatimah pointed out that the Miri district had the highest domestic violence rate for both periods with 180 cases from Feb 2019 to Feb 2020 and 196 cases from Mar 2020 to Mar 2021.
The Kuching district had the second highest rate for both periods — 142 cases from Feb 2019 to Feb 2020 and 162 cases from Mar 2020 to Mar 2021.
She pointed out that about 82 percent of the domestic violence cases were caused by drugs and alcohol.
