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Reporting sexual abuse appears to be a double-edged sword for many child victims who not only have to re-live their nightmare for years but also find their alleged offenders still walking free when investigations and court cases get delayed, writes Selvarani.
"MUMMY, I am tired. They all ask me the same thing every time. It's so long ago, I cannot even remember. I don't want to tell anymore. Why can't they catch that bad uncle?"
When her 7-year-old daughter said this recently, Janice (not her real name) realised that the longer the authorities take to bring the man who sexually molested her daughter to court, the more likely the culprit will get off scot-free.
"It's almost two years since we lodged a police report. The police have questioned Zini (not her real name), taken her statement numerous times, sent her for medical examination and even got her to identify her abuser, yet nothing has happened.
"The man who sexually abused my daughter is still out there, walking free. My daughter is living a nightmare as she is haunted by the thought of what this pervert did to her. She doesn't trust men and has become an introvert."
Janice's own nightmare began at the end of January last year when she was told by Zini's kindergarten teacher that her daughter had behaved inappropriately towards her friends by touching their private parts.
After much persuasion by the teacher, Zini, who was then 5 years old, related how she had been molested in the same way by a male relative on several occasions while her parents were away.
Janice lost no time in lodging a police report, in the hope that the culprit would be caught.
"The policewoman interviewed Zini and asked her to relate what happened. She was taken to the hospital for a medical examination."
Two days later, she was taken to the Bukit Aman Child Protection Unit where she was interviewed by another policewoman.
"By the end of that hour-long interview, Zini told me she was tired as the policewoman kept asking her the same questions."
A week later, Zini was asked to identify the suspect during a police identification parade. The suspect was detained and released a day later.
Six months after lodging the first report, Janice and Zini were taken to the scene of the crime for the police to take photographs, followed by another round of having Zini's statement recorded a month later.
As months passed by without any news, Janice called the investigating officer (IO) to enquire about the case.
"Every time I called, I was told it was still under investigation. After some time, the IO handling the case started to avoid my calls.
"It got so frustrating that I went to Bukit Aman to find out what was happening. The officers at D11 (Sexual and Child Investigation Division) re-assigned Zini's case to another officer."
But that meant that Zini had to go through the whole rigmarole of being interviewed again.
"Zini keeps telling me she is tired of the questioning because they keep asking her the same thing and she is now getting confused because she has been questioned by so many people.
"She keeps asking me why the police are taking so long 'to put the bad uncle in jail'. It has been very traumatic for her. I fear the longer the police take to charge the culprit, the more difficult it will be for Zini."
The last time Janice spoke with the IO, she was told that the case had been referred to the deputy public prosecutor.
"But that was six months ago. When I checked with the DPP's office, I was told that they had to send the file back to the police as the investigation was incomplete. In the meantime, the pervert is out there. Only God knows when we will see justice delivered."
"MUMMY, I am tired. They all ask me the same thing every time. It's so long ago, I cannot even remember. I don't want to tell anymore. Why can't they catch that bad uncle?"
When her 7-year-old daughter said this recently, Janice (not her real name) realised that the longer the authorities take to bring the man who sexually molested her daughter to court, the more likely the culprit will get off scot-free.
"It's almost two years since we lodged a police report. The police have questioned Zini (not her real name), taken her statement numerous times, sent her for medical examination and even got her to identify her abuser, yet nothing has happened.
"The man who sexually abused my daughter is still out there, walking free. My daughter is living a nightmare as she is haunted by the thought of what this pervert did to her. She doesn't trust men and has become an introvert."
Janice's own nightmare began at the end of January last year when she was told by Zini's kindergarten teacher that her daughter had behaved inappropriately towards her friends by touching their private parts.
After much persuasion by the teacher, Zini, who was then 5 years old, related how she had been molested in the same way by a male relative on several occasions while her parents were away.
Janice lost no time in lodging a police report, in the hope that the culprit would be caught.
"The policewoman interviewed Zini and asked her to relate what happened. She was taken to the hospital for a medical examination."
Two days later, she was taken to the Bukit Aman Child Protection Unit where she was interviewed by another policewoman.
"By the end of that hour-long interview, Zini told me she was tired as the policewoman kept asking her the same questions."
A week later, Zini was asked to identify the suspect during a police identification parade. The suspect was detained and released a day later.
Six months after lodging the first report, Janice and Zini were taken to the scene of the crime for the police to take photographs, followed by another round of having Zini's statement recorded a month later.
As months passed by without any news, Janice called the investigating officer (IO) to enquire about the case.
"Every time I called, I was told it was still under investigation. After some time, the IO handling the case started to avoid my calls.
"It got so frustrating that I went to Bukit Aman to find out what was happening. The officers at D11 (Sexual and Child Investigation Division) re-assigned Zini's case to another officer."
But that meant that Zini had to go through the whole rigmarole of being interviewed again.
"Zini keeps telling me she is tired of the questioning because they keep asking her the same thing and she is now getting confused because she has been questioned by so many people.
"She keeps asking me why the police are taking so long 'to put the bad uncle in jail'. It has been very traumatic for her. I fear the longer the police take to charge the culprit, the more difficult it will be for Zini."
The last time Janice spoke with the IO, she was told that the case had been referred to the deputy public prosecutor.
"But that was six months ago. When I checked with the DPP's office, I was told that they had to send the file back to the police as the investigation was incomplete. In the meantime, the pervert is out there. Only God knows when we will see justice delivered."
