KOTA TINGGI: The proposed Child Sexual Crimes Act, which will be tabled in the next Dewan Rakyat sitting in March, will expedite the prosecution process for such offences and help secure a better rate of conviction.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said at the moment, the rate of conviction for child sexual abuse crimes is low, and one of the reasons for this is the long legal process.
"Because of the long process, witnesses might forget certain details of the case, or the victims, who were young when the offences were committed, have grown up and become embarrassed over the incident (and refuse to press charges).
"With the tabling of the new Act, these cases would be dealt with as quickly as possible, because it provides for the establishment of special courts to try them," said Azalina.
She said the papers for the new Act have been forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for final drafting, before they are presented to the Cabinet for final approval prior to the tabling in Parliament in March.
Azalina, who is also Pengerang member of Parliament, was speaking to the media after closing the ‘Seminar on the Rights and Issues of Women and Children’, organised by the Judicial and Legal Training Institute at Dewan Bandaran in Bandar Penawar here.