PETALING JAYA: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) is calling for a transparent investigation into the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl by a police officer.
Sevan Doraisamy, executive director of Suaram, said the procedures when handling rape and sexual harassment cases should also be looked into, in line with the the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022.
“Suaram reminds the public that this is not the first time the media has uncovered a case of rape or sexual harassment committed by police officers.
“We fear that such cases will keep recurring because of the lack of punishment,” he said.
This incident is another example of why the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) bill proposed in 2019, which was binned in favour of the current Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) bill, should be reinstated, Sevan said.
“The IPCC does not have adequate investigative and enforcement powers. Any findings by the IPCC are referred to the Police Force Commission Board (SPP) but they have no obligation to implement the recommendations or report back to the IPCC.”
Sevan also called for the accountability system in the police force to be strengthened to repair the image of the department and command the trust of the public.
Yesterday, a teenage girl lodged a report claiming that she had been raped by a police inspector while at the Alor Setar district police headquarters (IPD). The officer in question has been detained.
A source told Harian Metro that the girl had lodged the report three days after the alleged sexual assault by the suspect, who is in his 30s.
According to the daily, the victim had been called in by the inspector to assist in a probe into a separate rape case that involved the girl and her stepfather.
The victim, who is a school dropout, then lodged a report on Saturday and gave her statement at the IPD before undergoing a check-up at a hospital. - FMT
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