CJ : Think of victims, cut delay on child sexual crime cases

Think of the victims' rights also, Chief Justice Mohd Raus Sharif said when asked why he wanted all court cases of sexual crimes against children to be disposed within a year.

Justice Raus said while one acknowledged the rights of an accused to a fair trial, one also had to bear in mind the rights of the victim too.

“In some (child sexual crime) cases, if a case takes years, than there is a possibility the victim may not be able to recount the episode.

“If the cases take years, the victim may also want to marry but will have to relive the bad experience again in court. How would it affect the marriage?

“Hence, while courts should look after the accused rights, we have to importantly consider the rights of child sexual victims in having to testify,” he told reporters.

Justice Raus was asked over the haste in asking cases at the Special Court for Sexual Crimes Against Children to be disposed within a year and if the directive may affect the rights of the accused.

Since the opening of the special court last April, he said 357 cases were registered of which 287 cases had been disposed between July and December.

“In short, the court managed to dispose 80.4 per cent of its cases with 70 cases pending as of Dec 31,” he said.

Justice Mohd Raus also announced that the judiciary intends to form a special court for human trafficking crimes by June this year.

[More to follow]

- Mkini