KUALA LUMPUR - Protect victims, not victimise them further, say women’s rights groups amid a controversy sparked by the Kelantan police chief suggesting in September that underage girls in Malaysia should also face legal action in “consensual” statutory rape cases.

“Punishing children for being victims of sexual activity risks silencing them further, deterring reporting and reinforcing victim-blaming culture,” Ms Zati Hanani, senior advocacy officer at the Women’s Aid Organisation, told The Straits Times.

“Police officers are the first point of contact between society and the law. They therefore have a responsibility to be aware of children’s rights and adopt a gender-sensitive perspective. Publicly suggesting measures that contradict existing laws is inappropriate and diverts focus from the pressing priorities of protection and education,” she said.

Ms Zati joins a chorus of critics – federal leaders and human rights and women’s rights advocates – who have condemned the suggestion for undermining the very purpose of child protection laws.

Despite the backlash, Kelantan police chief Yusoff Mamat said on Sept 29 that he stood by his statement.

“Why should I apologise or withdraw the statement when it was merely my personal opinion? It is up to the government whether to take it into account or not,” he said.

His

remarks, made on Sept 21,

The controversy carries added weight in Kelantan, a conservative state governed by the Islamist Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), where religious and moral discourse often shapes public debates.

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