MALAYSIA on Thursday launched a special court to handle sexual crimes against children, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, local media reported.
According to national news agency Bernama, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak said the court will help expedite cases related to pornography, child grooming and child sexual assault.
The setting up of the court is in tandem with the country’s recently-approved Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which will come into effect soon. The court will also hear its first case on July 4.
At the court’s inauguration in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s federal administrative capital, Najib proposed the development of special Standard Operating Procedures to handle child sex crimes.
“The special guidelines to be developed should meet the needs and requirements of child witnesses and be in accordance with the best practices in other countries,” Najib was quoted as saying. Read more