KOTA BARU: Chief Justice Tengku Tun Maimun Tuan Mat is worried about the number of sexual crimes against children in Kelantan.
She said the number of sexual crimes against children at the Kota Baru Sessions Court alone last year was more than triple the number of sexual crimes involving adults.
"The number of sexual crime cases involving children registered at the Kota Baru Sessions Court was worrying with 59 cases for the whole of last year. Compared this to those involving adults, only 18 cases of a similar nature were registered," she said at the launch of the newly-built RM94.4 million Kota Baru Court Complex near Bandar Baru Tunjong, here.
Tengku Maimun said she hoped all quarters would be more alert about sexual crimes against children and that they would ensure children's welfare and rights are given ample protection.
"At the court level, sexual crime cases involving children are given priority. For example, in this new Kota Baru court complex, we have set up a special court for child sexual crimes which will be handled by a special judge," she said.
In January, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had said that the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 had to be reviewed to uphold the rights of minors who have become victims of abuse and sexual crimes.
She had said amendments will need to be carried out if shortcomings and loopholes in the enforcement of the act are identified.
She had said there was a need for the special court for children to be reviewed, revised and enhanced.
Meanwhile, Tengku Maimun said last year saw a total of 13,579 civil and crime cases registered at Kota Baru, of which 6,412 cases were related to drugs.
At the High Court, she said, 72 drug cases were registered, 253 cases were at the magistrate's court and 3,357 cases at the Sessions Court.
"We hope with the new court complex, replacing the old one in the town area, this will ease the daily operations of the court as we can see their work is increasing of late," she said.