Sarawak police arrest school administrative assistant for allegedly molesting 15 special needs students

KUCHING (Nov 24): Sarawak police arrested a primary school administrative assistant on Nov 17 after 12 reports were filed against him for allegedly molesting 15 special needs students.

Sarawak police commissioner Dato Mancha Ata said the suspect, who is in his 40s, is currently under remand for investigation under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792).

“The victims are those who have been identified to be children with disabilities, including learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and autism,” Mancha told a press conference at the Sarawak Police Contingent Headquarters here this morning.

Under the Act, the suspect could face up to 20 years in prison and caning upon conviction.

Mancha said the suspect could also face an additional imprisonment term of up to five years and not less than two strokes of the rotan under Section 16 of the same Act.

He said the public should be more aware and concerned about cases which involve sexual offences against children, as they could cause the victims long-term emotional and psychological issues if not properly addressed.

He added that under Section 19 of the same Act, those who fail to report any sexual offences against children can be fined up to RM5,000.

Separately, a secondary school teacher, who is a prefect coordinator, was arrested yesterday (Nov 23).

“The arrest was made following three police reports that were received against him for allegedly molesting three victims aged between 14 and 15 years old,” said Mancha.

He added that the suspect, who is in his 40s, is currently under remand for investigations under Section 14(a), Section 14(c), Section 15(f), and Section 16 of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792).

The police did not disclose whether both suspects are from the same school.