KUALA LUMPUR: Sandra, 16, (not her real name) suffered the worst kind of pain any child should ever be exposed to. She was repeatedly abused, physically and sexually, by her father.

Being refugees from a neighbouring country, they shared a room in a house in Klang rented by several other refugees, including women and children.

Instead of receiving love, all she got was drunken violence.

It began with a slap, but he soon progressed to kicking, pinching her breasts and beating her. One night, he barged into the bathroom when she was having a shower and began hitting and touching her. She stood there, nude and helpless, as the other occupants of the house did not dare to interfere.

As these incidents escalated, one of the women in the house informed a non-governmental organisation. But a terrified Sandra decided to forgo help and escaped to another state.
The NGO later found her and provided her with counselling. She refused to be interviewed, but agreed for her story to be told.

United Nations Children's Fund Malaysia representative Youssouf Oomar said the protection offered by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) transcended race and nationality.

"Children who come into a country as refugees should have the same rights as children born in that country."

Research in several countries in Southeast Asia found that physical and sexual abuse that occurs within families is a common factor causing children to leave home for the streets.

This makes them vulnerable to further violence, exploitation, crime and poverty.

Youssouf said child abuse was not a private matter and needed to be brought to public attention.

He said when parents were the perpetrators, it pointed to fundamental flaws in the attainment of a child's rights as outlined by the CRC.

Although the convention holds the state accountable for protecting a child's rights, families and parents are responsible for their children.

In Malaysia, issues related to children will soon be handled by a Children's Department under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

The ministry will submit the much-awaited child protection policy to the cabinet for approval.

It is also drafting a child policy that will look into the survival, development, protection and participation of children -- the guiding principles of the CRC that Malaysia signed in 1995.