Woman In George Town Alleges PDRM Officer Refused To Register Sexual Assault Report
George Town district police chief ACP Soffian Santong, while confirming the woman's allegation which has gone viral on social media, said that they will conduct a "thorough, transparent, and fair investigation" into the matter.
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A police officer from the George Town district police headquarters allegedly refused to accept a sexual assault report from a victim
According to Urban Life Volunteers on Facebook, one of the officers at the station refused to act on a sexual assault incident that took place in a female restroom in Komtar on 21 October.
In a post uploaded on its page, Urban Life Volunteers said that the suspect was apprehended by the building's security team and turned over to George Town district police headquarters.
The victim had followed them to the police station with her mother.
The Facebook page alleges that the police officer refused to take the victim's report as the suspect is a homeless person and has no identity card, saying that lodging a report will be a "waste of time".
According to the post, there have been a number of similar incidents of sexual harassment at the female toilets in Komtar and instead of taking action, police sympathise with the culprits and set them free.
In a separate statement released today, 23 October, Urban Life Volunteers alleged the police released the suspect without comprehensive effort to further investigate and resolve the issue at the hand.
George Town district police chief ACP Soffian Santong, while confirming the woman's allegation which has gone viral, has promised a "thorough, transparent, and fair investigation" into the matter
According to Soffian, disciplinary action will be taken if their internal investigation into the officers and personnel involved finds any wrongdoing or negligence in the implementation of the work procedure.
"Refusing to accept a report by the public is a serious offence and we will not compromise on the matter," he was quoted as saying by New Straits Times today, 23 October.
Meanwhile, police have opened an investigation paper under Section 354 of the Penal Code into the alleged sexual assault claim in Komtar
"The woman came to the police station yesterday and we recorded her statement. The case will be investigated," The Star quoted Soffian as saying.
He also vowed that the police are committed in giving their best services to the people.
Image via Mikail Ong/New Straits Times
If you or someone you know may be at risk or has experienced sexual abuse or assault, please reach out to these Malaysian organisations:
1. WOMEN'S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Operating hours: 24-hour
Contact: +603-30008858
SMS/WhatsApp: +6018-9888058
Website | Facebook | Twitter
2. ALL WOMEN'S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9.30am - 5.30pm)
Contact: +603-78770224
WhatsApp/Telegram: +6016-2284221 | +6016-2374221
Email: telenita@awam.org.my
Website | Facebook | Twitter
3. WOMEN'S CENTRE FOR CHANGE PENANG (WCC PENANG)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +604-2280342 | +604-3988340
WhatsApp: +6011-31084001 | +6016-4180342
Email: wcc@wccpenang.org
Website | Facebook | Twitter
4. SARAWAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY (SWWS)
Operating hours: Monday (7pm - 9pm),Tuesday to Thursday (9.30am - 11.30am), Saturday (2pm - 4pm)
Contact: +6082-368853
SMS/WhatsApp: +6016-5822660 | +6013-8044285
Email: sarswws@gmail.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter
5. SABAH WOMEN'S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +6088-280200 | +6011-27908020
Email: sawo.women@yahoo.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter
6. PROTECT AND SAVE THE CHILDREN (PS THE CHILDREN)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (3pm - 12am)
WhatsApp: +6016-7213065
Email: protect@psthechildren.org.my
Website | Facebook | Twitter
7. INTERNET WATCH FOUNDATION (IWF)
Anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and non-photographic child sexual abuse images with IWF's Reporting Portal.
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